Michelle
by MarenMary93
Summary: (story previously called 'Broken Leg') Jack breaks his leg a few weeks before Memorial day. Then, on memorial day, he meets Michelle. (Also, I'm shamelessly borrowing Gib's guys for some of the chapters -Cooper, Duncan, Pete and Boxer. Thanks Gib!)
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so… I missed Memorial day by a few days. But still felt like this was okay to post.**

"Come on Ri, it's not that high…" Jack coaxed as he tried to get Riley to jump down a small ledge. "Time is of the essence, if I have to remind you…"

"Would you just shut up, please!" Riley barked back as she stood on the edge, completely rigid.

"I didn't know you were scared of heights…"

"Neither did I two minutes ago!"

"Okay, but we've GOT TO GO!"

"I- I can't…" Riley stuttered, clenching her hands into fists.

"Okay, if I go first and catch you… Would that work?"

Riley shrugged, then nodded.

"Okay, good. When I get down there, sit down on the edge and just slide down into my hands. How does that plan sound to you?"

"Great."

Jack smiled and nudged Riley's shoulder, then he stepped back to give himself some momentum and let the tuck-and-roll motion go smoother.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It felt like someone took Louisville slugger to a spot three inches above his left ankle, on second thought, it felt like Babe Ruth himself had stood up from the dead, re-visited his glory days and batted one of his best ever power hits.

The planned tuck and roll ended up with him curled up on his side, clutching his left ankle. Every cussword known to man rolled off his tongue, and a few improvised ones too for good measure.

30 seconds later he managed to breathe through the worst brunt of the pain. He wasn't able to uncurl from the way he was wrapped in on himself.

"Don't think that you can fool me into jumping down there. That's not how it works!"

"I'm not trying to fool you!" Jack actually managed to speak out in a full sentence. "Think I broke my leg…"

"You're kidding right?" Riley hoped.

The painful moan Jack couldn't hold back answered her question for him.

"How bad is it?" Riley asked from her placement up on the ledge. It wasn't all that high. If Jack had been able to stand up and reach for the plateau he had just jumped from his hands would just fall a foot short of the top.

Jack cussed another string, hard enough words to make Riley reconsider her question all together.

"Stupid question, don't need to answer." Riley sighed, "There is no other way down from here, damn it."

After finally concluding what they both already knew, Riley rolled over to her stomach and edged over the edge. She managed to lower herself until she was dangling from her hands, but her feet were still about a yard off the ground. She let go with her left hand and turned around as much as anatomy would let her. Then she dropped and landed rock steady.

He didn't flinch when when Riley placed her hand on his shoulder. But her words sent a slight shiver through his soul.

"Jack, I have to take a look at your leg. Do you want me to cut up the lacing or to untie it?"

"Cut it." Easy decision. He had been through this once or twice before. He had probably broken a leg (or both) about 20-25 times all in all. Counting everything from childhood clumsiness, teenage idiocy to missions going less than stellar. "Hey, Ri…"

"Yeah...?"

"When we get home from this…" Jack started, but had to pause to fight a grimace that fluttered across his face, "When we get home, let's try to get Matty to agree never to use the phrase 'easy mission' ever again… Huh?"

Riley paused from slitting open the boot, smiling despite the situation.

"Yeah, let's ban that phrase from Phoenix lingo…" Riley agreed, "Except from when we're talking about missions we've already been through. History you know."

"Yeah, let the missions become easy once they're done and over with…." Jack grimaced.

"Ow, that's definitely broken." Riley hissed in sympathy.

"Told you so!" Jack gritted out, "It isn't open, is it?"

"No. Thankfully not." Riley informed. "But I think the bone splintered a bit. I think one or two of those pieces are pressing against the skin. And your foot is poking outward…"

"Good thing the crew followed Mac, huh?"

Riley nodded, "I need to splint this in some way. We're still too far away from the car for you to skip all the way on one leg."

Jack nodded in agreement as he propped himself up on his elbows.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"How does that feel?"

"Hurts just as much as you would expect…" Jack answered, scrounging up his nose.

"Well, since we're in a part of the world where the vegetation is either knee height, or don't offer any support at all… You're going to have to rely on me as a crutch."

Jack nodded.

"Ready to get going?" she asked, "We're losing daylight…"

It wasn't without struggle that Riley helped Jack up. But Riley managed to half-lift Jack who was much taller and heavier than her.

It didn't take more than a hundred yards before they figured out that their current way of handling things wasn't working out.

"Okay, stand there for a second…" Riley instructed, stopping Jack.

"Why?"

"Just do it." Riley said with a hand pressed against Jack's chest to steady him. Then when she knew he had his footing, she turned her back to him, squaring off her frame and spreading her arms slightly. "Jump on…"

"I'll crush you!"

"I have been a part of this team for a couple of years now. What do you think I do when I am in the gym?"

"Work out…?"

"Yup, and I squat more than you weigh…" Riley deadpanned. "Hop on."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Well, that's a sight I never expected to see…" Mac chuckled as Riley and Jack rounded a boulder and came into view. Then he turned a little more serious before he asked, "Has something happened?"

"Broke my leg…" Jack hissed, "A mile or so back."

"is it bad?"

"I don't know, but crutches will be mandatory for the next couple of weeks." Jack reasoned.

Mac nodded and gave the splint a once over once, "Good job on the splint Riley. Does it feel like your leg is held in place Jack?"

"Feels like it does its job nicely." Jack nodded. "But I'm ready to get looked at by a doctor right about now. Maybe get shot up with some feel-good-juice."

"We've got a half a mile left to the extraction point." Riley informed as she wiped off her brow. "Let's get going…"

Just as Riley was about to get ready to have Jack ride piggy-back again, Mac spoke up. "I'll take care of Jack. You've done more than your part already."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

 **A couple of weeks later.**

Jack felt a bit strange as he dressed up in his nicest uniform, with all of his military medals decorating his chest. His left leg was still in a cast from his knee down. And he still needed the crutches, he wasn't allowed to bear weight on the leg yet. It had been a complicated fracture, and had required a plate and a bunch of screws.

He shuffled backward to be able to look at himself in the mirror. Full-figure. Uniform and crutches. His eyes were drawn to the fiberglass covered leg. Could he wear this today? Could he? Would it steal away from the focus of the day? This day was for guys like Tommy and Mike and girls like Evy. Those who hadn't come back.

After more than 10 minutes in front of the mirror he decided that he had to wear the uniform wither way. He was the one elected to hold a speech, he couldn't do that in jeans and a dirty t-shirt. He would have to wear his uniform.

There was a knock on the door, Jack knew who it was without any other hints. He hobbled over to the motel door, and unlocked it. Mac stood there dressed sharply in a matching uniform, just a couple of ranks beneath Jack's.

"Ready to go?" he asked, holding up the keys to the rental they had while they were in Texas.

"I look like a fraud…"

"Why would you say that?" Mac furrowed his brows, tilting his head.

"It's memorial day, I'm elected to speak on their behalf, and I hobble around on crutches. I didn't even get hurt as a soldier!"

"Jack…"

"I- I… I…"

"Jack, you are a soldier. One who have done far more for this country and this world than most of us. Stuff that would make you a legend if it wasn't classified. You might not dress up in your khakis for missions anymore, but you're still a soldier. Just a different and more skilled branch. We can call you a Phoenix-soldier. You did get injured as a soldier…"

Jack said nothing.

"Come on, let's go…" Mac smiled, "Need me to carry anything?"

"Okay, no… I've got everything on me…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle watched as a handsome soldier with a chest full of medals hobbled up the stairs.

The man paused at top of the stage, before he crutched over to the chairs set out there. He moved slowly and kept his eyes to the ground, like he was reading something. He stopped at the fourth chair, placed his crutches in his left hand and lowered himself onto the seat.

Michelle instantly felt curious about the soldier's history. Who was he? What had he done? What had happened to his leg?

She saw him carefully place his foot on the floor, and wondered if the man should have a second chair to elevate his injured leg on.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

His heart was pounding in his chest, and his leg was throbbing steadily inside the cast. His mouth ran dry and his hands went clammy. It was like some kind of stage-fright served up with a side order of aching left leg.

He carefully slid the cast along the stage floor, until he had his foot parallel with the floor. The throbbing didn't ease up, if anything it just kicked it up a notch. He hooked his right leg behind the cast and eased his injured leg forward. He let out an involuntary hiss as the three week old injury buzzed with pain.

 _I can take three hours of this. Three hours is nothing. At least nothing compared to being tortured by terrorists in the middle east, or landing a plane with no wings and no engines._

He hadn't even noticed that the man assigned to the seat beside him had parked his ass on the chair. Not before he spoke.

"Leg bothering ya?" the question came in a thick Texan accent, and the man's voice was about as deep as the deepest oceans.

Jack flashed a short apologetic smile.

"A little…" he admitted as he blushed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to be a wimp about it…"

"Don't you worry son. There is no shame in complaining about anything that deserves a cast. It hurts, those of us who have been through it knows that. Was it a bad fracture?"

"Well, I've got a six inch metal plate in my leg, and more screws than I've got fingers on my hands…"

"Sounds awful…" the other man grimaced, "When did this happen?"

"About three weeks ago. I've got at least two more weeks with this itchy cast."

"They weren't able to immobilize the leg well enough with the hardware?"

Jack grinned shortly, "They decided, given my history, that it would be best to go all belt and suspenders on this…"

"Okay?"

"Let's just say that there have been a few instances where doctors had to break up poorly healed injuries. Better safe than sorry I guess…"

The other man didn't say anything for a few seconds, he just looked at Jack's cast.

"Should I find something for you to prop your leg up on? It must be better to have it elevated…"

"Thank you, but it really isn't necessary." Jack smirked, in reality he could really use an upside down bucket or a chair to rest his leg on.

"You sure?" We're going to be here for a while you know…."

Jack nodded, "Three hours, I know…"

"Just give me a hint if you need anything."

"Thanks, but all I really need is for those two painkillers I took 5-10 minutes ago to kick in."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

By the time he was supposed to speak on behalf of his fallen brothers and sisters, his leg had stopped hurting immensely.

He hobbled over to the microphones, clearing his throat on his way over.

He stopped in front of the mics and propped his crutches against the pulpit. Then he gripped the surface to steady himself.

"Hello. My name is Jack Dalton. I… Errr… I… I used to be a Colonel with the US Army, and I'm not very good with speeches, I hope you can forgive me for that later. There's this country song where one of the lines say 'All gave some, some gave all'. I only gave some, but I served alongside guys and gals who gave all and never came back from war. I've seen the horrors of war up close and personal. I enlisted as soon as I could, straight out of high school in '85. And I've seen most of the action you've seen on the television from the front line. Let me tell you a little story of the first time I really felt war on my own body, it was in Desert Storm. It was February 4th, the day after my 24th birthday. I had seen war a couple of times by then, but what happened then was a new experience for me."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, fighting memories that suddenly rushed to the surface.

"February 4th, 1991. My squad and I were driving south, towards our home base over there. The sky was as burning bright, just as blue as the Texas sky on a perfect spring day. I remember Tommy Evans, some of you might have known him, he was a Dallas boy. Always had an optimistic grin and dimples that would make him seem at least five years younger than he really was. Good guy, good kid, good hero. We were having this stupid friendly argument about what movie was the best."

Jack had to wipe away a few tears with his right hand.

"I survived the roadside bomb, three of my team mates weren't as lucky. Tommy was one of them."

Jack cleared his voice, hoping that it would hold up until he was done speaking.

"America, some gave all…Today we honor them."

Jack didn't spend more time up at the pulpit than necessary. He gathered his crutches and hobbled back to his chair.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The rest of the three hours went by painstakingly slow. And his emotions threatened to get the best of him all of the time. The absolute worst was when Ella's husband took the floor and told the story of how his wife had been shot in the chest on her 3rd tour overseas. He had met Ella, one brief time. She was a badass woman, the kind you either love or fear. What hurt his soul the most was the three year old who sat on the man's arm, hiding her face in the nook of her father's neck, and that that little angel never would see her beautiful and strong mother ever again.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Sit down, sit down…." Mac ushered as he provided a chair for Jack as he hopped down backstage. "How are you holding up?"

"Leg's fine… Just throbs a little."

"I'm not talking 'bout your leg, old man… I'm talking about the top floor, where's your head at?"

Jack looked down at the ground, then up at Mac again.

"It's been a day…" he spoke barely above a whisper.

Mac could feel his heart sinking, 'it's been a day' spoke volumes to him about what demons were roaring inside Jack's mind. It had been their code ever since the fourth time they worked together, way back in the sandbox. Also known as the first time Mac had seen Jack have an episode, reliving one of the major craptastic events war had provided him.

"I know…"

Jack sniffled and closed his eyes, nodding.

"How about we go back to the motel, and put on some Jim Carrey movie or something?"

"I'd rather go empty a dive bar for all of its liquor…" Jack muttered silently.

"We both know alcohol and this mindset…"

"-shouldn't be mixed, I know…" Jack ran a hand down his face, "But Lord, I need a drink…"

"Water. You need a drink of water…" Mac countered, "I've got the car waiting out back, let's go. Let's get that leg of yours up, it must be pounding like crazy…"

"Yeah, kinda…" Jack admitted taking a new hold of his crutches. "Mac…"

"Yup…"

"Could you… Could you like…"

"-Stay in your room tonight?"

Jack nodded.

"Sure…" Mac answered with a careful hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'll take the couch."

"Thanks man…"

 **Just so you know it, I'm craving Jack whump like crazy.**

 **Also, had to exercise my writing muscles. Hope you didn't get too bored.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello lovelies! Just me again. Hope you don't mind!**

It was a quarter past eleven when the bell above the bar door rang, announcing that another customer either came or left. Michelle looked up from her task of wiping glasses dry and was surprised to see the handsome soldier from earlier that day, this time in civilian clothes.

He was even prettier up close, well… Pretty might be the wrong word to use when describing a tough rugged soldier. But in a way, he was pretty. Maybe handsome was the right word, the soldier was more of a Jeffrey Dean Morgan kind of guy than Orlando Bloom. More Kevin Costner and Bruce Willis than Zac Efron and Liam Hemsworth. _(Although with a few more years both Zac and Liam could potentially grow out of their teen-girl idol looks and grow into more mature handsomeness…)_

"Hello stranger…" she chipped with her greatest smile.

The soldier flashed a quick exhausted smile as he made it over to the barstools. "Hello…"

"Now, what can I get ya?" she kept her smile up.

"Two fingers of whatever has the most kick around here…" the soldier drawled as he climbed up on the barstool.

"Well, then you can choose between Jim, Jack and José, or Grandma Ellie's white lightning…"

"Think it's a little early for moonshine just yet…" Jack smirked, but he started to like this place already. It looked like one of those places where the sheriff would just look the other way, or possibly take a drink or two himself while on-duty. "Besides, I've got a bad history with that… My uncle used to cook…"

"Was he any good?"

"Nah, but it worked well as engine fuel…"

Michelle chuckled, "Well, Grandma Ellie is the best around. But most people who drink from her batch end up crawlin' home…"

"Well, I'll probably be crawling by the end of the night either way…" Jack sighed as he took the offered glass into his hands.

"Crutches and alcohol don't seem like the best idea ever, huh?" Michelle shrugged before holding up three bottles, "So, Jim, Jack or José?"

"Jim Beam. José and I had a falling out about 20 years ago, haven't talked to each other since. And right now, I don't know if I like Jack much either…"

"Rough day?"

"Memorial day always is…" the soldier said, leaning on his elbows.

"You a soldier?" Michelle asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"No. Well, yes. Kinda…" he answered. "I used to be, kinda still am…"

Michelle nodded. She needed the man to say his name to her, it would be strange for him if she just assumed it was Jack. It was Jack, wasn't it?

She poured up some Jim Beam for him before she continued with her plan to make him present himself.

"Well, I usually know everybody in here by name. And they know me, I'm Michelle, Michelle Sawyer…"

"Jack Dalton…" the soldier answered with a tired smile, not the kind of tired that would be fixed by a few extra hours of sleep. No, it was much deeper than that.

"Jack Dalton, nice to meet ya!" she winked, pulling over the stool she had behind the counter. "Mind if I sit with you for a while, it's kinda empty in here tonight…"

Jack gestured for her to take the other side of the bar. "Might be nice with some company…"

She nodded and sat down, poured herself half a glass of Corona.

"Mind if I ask the story behind your cast?"

"The one on my leg?"

Michelle nodded, "Only if it doesn't bother you…"

"Nah… Of course not…" Jack answered staring down at the golden liquid in his glass. "I had to jump down a small cliff. Simple, only 10 feet or so… Easy, tuck and roll landing… But one of the bones in my leg broke when I landed, and my… Let's call her my daughter, cause she basically is, had to carry me the rest of the way to the car…"

"Your daughter…"

"She kinda is, she's the daughter of a woman I dated almost a decade ago. Riley, the daughter was about 10 at the time we started out. She's a grown woman now, I work with her. But we've found that bond we once had again." Jack smiled, this time it actually reached his eyes, and it made Michelle happy to see.

"She sounds like a great person…"

"She is." Jack smiled, another genuine smile. "She's the best daughter a man could ever have. Her dirt bag dad never realized that."

"Some fathers never do…" Michelle sighed, remembering her best friend's father. Total douche bag. "Got any kids of your own?"

Jack shook his head and took a swig of the whiskey. "No… You?"

Michelle shook her head in return. "No, most guys I meet are either married, trouble or both…"

"Never had a gentleman woo you?"

"Maybe once or twice… But it never worked out…"

"Story of my life…" Jack sighed, shaking his head. Then he leaned back and tried to fight a grimace which took control of his facial features.

"You good there, soldier?"

"Yep…" Jack half-growled, "Just the damn leg…"

"We have booths here too… Might be more comfortable for ya. Easier to keep that leg of yours up…"

"Nah, it's not necessary…" Jack waved her off as soon as his leg stopped its uproar.

"Well, I insist." Michelle countered. "Hop on over there, I'll bring your glass and a cushion to rest that leg upon."

"Really, it's not necessary…"

"Go on…" she pointed towards the nearest booth, "Besides, the seats are a lot more comfy than these stools anyway…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack had to admit, the couches in the booths were a LOT more comfortable than the old, hard barstools. And the fact that he could have his leg elevated was like a cherry on top.

One more customer had entered the bar in the hour he had been there. Obviously a local, cause he just shouted over to Michelle that he poured himself a glass of Bud Light, and she gave him a thumb's up in return.

"Mostly locals here?"

She nodded. "Mostly locals and it's either beer, whiskey or shine they are after. Think the last time I actually mixed a drink was when a bus of college students took a wrong turn last spring right around spring break. That was fun…"

"So, how does a good looking, obviously smart woman like you end up tending a dive bar in the middle of Texas?"

"Well, Rory was my father…"

"And this was his bar, right?"

"Yup, Rory's bar and music…" she grinned, "My dad retired a couple of years ago, and someone had to keep pouring alcohol to thirsty cowboys…"

"Looks like John Wayne over there handles that just fine…" Jack smirked jabbing a thumb in the latest customers direction.

Michelle chuckled, "Yep, I'm just here to make sure they pay up…"

Jack nodded, "You've got to be one tough little gal… Don't you?"

"Not really, I just threaten to call on my bouncer, and they usually hand over the money fairly quickly after that."

"So, who have you hired, Patrick Swayze?"

"No, her name is Jordan Holt…"

"A woman?" Jack asked and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't expect that."

"Well, most guys don't…" Michelle grinned back, "But trust me, you wouldn't like to go up against her, hand to hand."

"I'll take your word on that one." Jack answered and ran a hand through his short hair. "Where'd you find her?"

"Well, we grew up together. She had four older brothers, so she had to learn to fight…"

"They were mean to her?"

"No, not at all!" Michelle said before taking another sip of her beer. "Adam, oldest, did ballet. Mike is gay. Bob is the scrappiest nerd you could ever imagine and Jesse just got beat up a lot… Jordan learned how to fight to defend her older brothers."

"Wow…"

"And when she got old enough, she joined the Marines. Just because she could…"

"Well, remind me to be a model citizen…" Jack prompted just before he drained the rest of his glass.

Michelle nodded, her eyes falling on the glass. "Can I get you more?"

"Please…" Jack said as he placed the glass down on the table.

"Same stuff?" she asked as she walked across the floor over to the bar.

"Yeah, sounds good." Jack answered as he studied the bartender's body and decided that the persons who had made her had done a damn fine job.

She brought the bottle over and poured up the same amount she had done earlier. Then she set the bottle down on the table and sat down on the other couch.

"So, I haven't seen you around town before. Where are you staying?"

"Super 8 a few blocks from here…" Jack pointed in the general direction the motel would be in. "My colleague fell asleep on my couch… And I couldn't sleep. Plus I had seen the neon sign advertising cold beer and strong liquor…"

"Well, that's us…" Michelle sighed, "And live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night…"

Jack chuckled, "You make that sound like a bad thing…"

"Well, let's just say that the locals often tip our musician for not playing…"

"That bad?"

"I bet he couldn't hit a note if his life depended on it…" Michelle laughed as she shook her head. "He's awful…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was a quarter to one, and Michelle had left him alone for a little while. A few more customers had entered, and a few of them wanted coffee and a small bite to eat.

When she returned she had a plate of nachos and cheese in her left hand, which she placed on the table between them.

"Here, have some calories…" she nodded towards the nachos and the steaming hot cheese. "On the house…"

"Thank you…" Jack looked up as he reached out to grab one. He had a good buzz going, and his leg had finally stopped complaining about every beat of his heart. Experience told him he should stop drinking at that point, to go over to water or soda. But he had a certain lack of willpower tonight.

"So, what's the most awesome thing you've ever seen?" Michelle asked, her head resting on her arms on the table, as if they were a pillow.

"Most amazing thing?" Jack drawled, reaching back through his mind. "Well, I can't tell you the specifics… But… It was one of my tours to the Middle East. We had this new kid joining our team. Looked like he was about twelve. New EOD, joining our team of merry meat heads. Kid was, is, a GENIUS, all capital letters…"

"You're fond of him, I take it?"

"Yeah, we're partners in the team I work with now. Smartest kid you'd ever meet. And not obnoxious about it either…"

Michelle chuckled.

"Anyway… We had been climbing down this ravine for a whole day, and had finally reached the village we were ordered to clear. Few minutes after we enter the town, this woman comes running out into the market, yelling out that someone strapped a bomb around her. –Not uncommon." Jack grimaced.

"Your leg?" Michelle asked in an anxious tone.

"It's fine…" Jack assured, besides it wasn't the leg which had caused him to grimace, but a bloody picture dancing in front of his retina. "Mac, the kid, steps forward before I could stop him. Speaks to the woman in the local language. I spent years down there, and I could rattle off a few rehearsed sentences. But the kid? To me he sounded fluent…"

"What happened next?"

"Well, after speaking with the lady for a minute or so, he told us that the men behind it should be in this and that building. I sent two of our guys over for them. And the kid marched over to the woman with the bomb strapped around her. –Again before I could stop him."

"Difficult guy?"

"Only to keep safe…" Jack sighed, "I swear that kid will give me a heart attack someday soon…"

Jack poured another sip of whiskey into his mouth and concentrated on the burn traveling down his throat.

"To make the story short, two minutes later, the kid had disarmed the bomb and helped me patch up a grace wound I got on my upper arm. After that I yelled at him for about an hour about that being a stupid, reckless, moronic move. I told him not to do idiotic stuff like that again…"

"Let me guess, he didn't listen?"

"Well, if he did, he's piss poor at following orders…" Jack answered before he threw back the rest of the contents in his glass.

"Would you change him, if you could?"

Jack thought about it, a few seconds. "No…" he slurred.

"Why not?"

"He's a genius." Jack sighed, "Guess he has just as much right to be wild and reckless as I did… But it still bugs me when he puts himself in danger…"

"He's kinda like a son to you…?" Michelle presumed.

"Either that or a little brother, haven't really decided on that yet…" Jack smirked. "Excuse me a minute, I need to find the…"

"Restroom? In the back, to the left."

"Thank you ma'am…"

After just two klutzy steps with the crutches, Michelle figured she at least had to offer her help.

"Could I interest you in a little help to actually get to the toilet?" She paused, studying Jack's swaying figure, "Like, before you take a nose-dive into the pine floor?"

Jack stopped in his tracks, hopping on his good leg a few times until he once again was in control of his balance.

"Think that might be best…" he shamefully agreed as his cheeks blushed with embarrassment.

"Okay, let's leave one crutch here, and I'll act as the other one…"

"You're not much ta-ller than Ri…" Jack slurred, studying Michelle yet again, "She couldn't do that…"

"I feel like I have to remind you that I pour drinks for a living… I know how to move 300lbs guys who can't keep _one_ leg under them… You're a lot lighter and you can keep balance –more or less- on your right leg…"

Jack grinned, not really knowing why.

"Come on, one arm over my shoulder and I wrap my arm around your waist." Michelle ordered, Jack did as she told him to. "Now we keep this at your pace."

"Thanks…"

"No problem…" Michelle chuckled back. _Good lord, good looking guy Jack Dalton even smelled nice!_

 **Okay, let's cut this right here. Maybe I'll be able to post more later, maybe not… Hope you're enjoying it so far!**

 **BTW: Not easy to find pretty-boy examples for this chapter. Because I only came up with Marvel / DC superhero actors or the cast from Supernatural… And… Let's face it… I felt like I needed someone with more innocent looks. I failed…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favs and follows! Warms my heart!**

It was nice to make it back to the booth and sit down after a while.

"Hey, Michelle?" he slurred, trying hard to keep her in focus.

"Yeah…"

"Could I get a shot of that shine now?"

"Not too much of it though, might be hard to get yourself back to the motel afterwards…"

Jack nodded lazily, as Michelle headed back to the bar for a Mason jar full of clear liquid.

"I usually have Apple Pie moonshine too, but Travis in the corner had a fun night Saturday…" she shrugged as she poured some of the white lightning into Jack's glass.

"Damn, that's a long time ago…"

"Huh?"

"Since I've had apple pie, the moonshine kind at least…" Jack shook his head, "But then again, uncles shine… You'd wake up in a field a couple of days later, not really remembering where you were, what you'd done or how you got there…"

"Sounds… Sounds like something you shouldn't drink…"

Jack nodded. "I decided on that after celebrating a rodeo win back in 87…"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…" Jack chuckled, "I woke up in Nashville, in some cut-off jeans that obviously weren't mine…"

"Wait, you're Texan, but your uncle lived near Nashville?"

"Nope."

"Then how?"

"Hell if I know…" Jack shrugged, "But I ended up calling some military brothers of mine to get my ass back to the right state… And swore to myself that unless whatever TD serves me comes from a store-brought bottle, I'm not having any of it…"

"But you still take your chances with our shine?"

"Never woken up in a different state drinking any other homemade liquor than uncles…" Jack shrugged as he raised his glass.

"Good luck…"

Jack winked at her.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Leaving the jar at the table when she went to set over another pot of coffee might have been a mistake.

She had recognized Jack's looks as soon as he had stepped into her bar early in the night. This was a guy who was planning on drinking to forget. But her older brother was the same kind, she knew a few tricks to delay just that. Besides, she wanted the chance to flirt with the handsome soldier, even if he was a bit older than her 32 years of age. He had finally told her that he'd just turned 50 a little while back, and that made it totally acceptable. Half of 50 is 25, plus 7… 32. Perfect…

But when she came back after her coffee duty a few minutes later, the amount of shine in the jar had been reduced by a fair amount, but it obviously hadn't hit his system… Yet…

"I've got something else too…" she promised as she grabbed a hold of the mason jar. "Let me get that…"

"No… No no no…" Jack slurred, okay, his speech had been a little more impaired. She had to admit that. "Let that be, tastes good."

"I promise this will too…" she tried, "Just give me half a minute…"

Jack studied her carefully, before he nodded.

Her shoulders relaxed a bit after that. The least thing she could do was to make sure he didn't consume even more alcohol. Judging by the half empty jar, how the heck had he managed to down that much in the little time she had been away? –Jack had definitely had his share and then some.

She hurried behind the bar and placed the shine next to the other jars of the same stuff. She was fully stocked, Sherriff Verner loved that stuff after all…

Then she grabbed an empty mason jar and opened her fridge. Pulling out a jug of fresh lemonade, without any alcohol, she poured a generous helping into the jar. She placed the jug back in the fridge and closed the door, put a lid over the jar and grabbed two mugs of coffee before she headed back to the booth.

"Here, a coffee for each of us, and some of auntie's secret recipe…"

"Ws iss thath…?" Jack slurred heavily as he almost managed to point to the newly provided jar full of lemonade.

"Well, it's not really moonshine, but it's something aunt Bessie usually makes. Has a good burn in it, that's for sure…" She hoped, and assumed, that Jack was drunk enough by now not to notice the evident lack of kick and burn in the kid friendly drink she was about to serve him.

"Waz it from?"

"Tastes kinda like lemonade… I know there are real lemons in there, and some maple syrup…" she answered truthfully, before she continued with a lie. "Other than that, no friggin' idea…"

"S'nds good…" Jack smiled a lopsided grin and pushed his glass towards Michelle.

"How much?"

Jack held up four fingers.

"-If you say so…" Michelle shrugged, and filled up Jack's glass just as the doorbell rang, again.

Sheriff Verner had just entered the bar. He took off his hat and walked over to the bar. "I'll just help myself Mich…"

"Okay!" she called back, knowing that the sheriffs next move would be to come over to the booth she sat at.

"Whoah…" Jack grimaced after taking a sip of the lemonade, "You ri'ht… 'S strong…"

Michelle barely held back her laugh at Jack's miscalculation, and was able to chirp off "I told you so…"

Half a minute later Verner stood right by the table, grinning.

"Serving him with aunt Bessie's I see?" Verner smirked, sharing a knowing look with Michelle.

"Yeah, had a little grandma incident."

"Drinking too much?" the sheriff asked, and Michelle nodded towards the bar, giving a silent sign that they should continue their conversation over there.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So, another city-slicker who can't hold his beverage?" Verner asked with an amused smirk as they made it to the bar.

"Good ole Texan boy, trying to drink to forget I guess…" Michelle sighed, casting a glance over her shoulder in Jack's direction.

"Okay?"

"He was the one who spoke at the memorial today…" Michelle swallowed, "I figure he's seen a lot more crap than what he let on there. Probably saw a lot more crap than Mark ever have…"

"Your older brother?"

Michelle nodded, "Mark saw someone die. In our country, no guns around. Car accident… It broke him."

"Yeah, poor kid hasn't been the same since…" the sheriff agreed, glancing towards the jars of white lightning. "Does this one get violent too?"

"Hasn't yet…"

"Good." Verner nodded, "Cause your brother is one fine gentleman, when he's sober."

"But when he gets a little in him, he can't stop drinking… And he almost turns into old Frank…"

"Yep, bless his soul."

"Mark or Frank?"

"Both I guess, but my job got a lot easier when old Frank decided to park his slippers."

"That sounds awful, that wasn't very nice."

"Well, neither is having glass bottles thrown at you because you try to, in a polite and quiet way, try to tell the grandpa of the town that two bottles of Cuervo in a night might be one too many…"

"That old man sure knew how to aim…"

The sheriff nodded, "I have to admit, I don't miss that… And the worst thing, you can't really stop 'em either… They'll just go off and get even more shitfaced on their own. Real risk to themselves and the environment."

"I tried to drink with Jack over there, did good too for a couple of hours. Then I forgot the jar at the table as I went to brew some more coffee…"

"Well, whoops…" Verner winced, "How much?"

"Almost half a jar…"

"Whew… He's going to have one massive headache tomorrow…" the sheriff winced, rubbing his temple in sympathy. "Should we get him home?"

"I don't think we should leave him to himself just yet. Figured it was safe to pour lemonade down his throat…"

The sheriff glanced over at Jack, who had taken a napkin and was picking it to pieces.

"Doesn't look like he will be the worst problem to ever sit down at this bar…"

"No, no one can compete with that. And you know it…" Michelle sighed. "You'll just serve yourself with some nachos, won't you?"

"You know I will, go play shrink or whatever to our new friend over there…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The changes in Jack when she made it back to the table were subtle at first. First thing she noticed was that the smile she had worked hard to build up on that beautiful face all night had faded completely. Okay, maybe that wasn't so subtle when you remembered it as a 1000W smile, but…

After sitting and trying to keep half of a conversation for a few minutes, the hardest part being to make sense of the gibberish Jack drawled about. Not an easy task, but you sit. You nod. You say 'oh yeah?', 'No, really?', "Great.', and "That sounds awful…' every now and then. That's how you handle drunken gibberish.

Pretty soon his eyes welled up with tears, and he threw back another four fingers worth of lemonade, thinking it would make him drunker. Luckily it wouldn't.

"How are you doing, Tex?"

"Sh'dve been me…" he croaked out, sniffling to keep from crying.

When Michelle's only response was a puzzled tilt of her head, Jack repeated himself.

Michelle had a uncomfortable feeling in her gut that she knew exactly what the soldier in front of her had in mind.

"Me. Shhhdve be me…" Jack repeated another time, this time letting his head drop to the table with a loud dunk. "To'y shd be 'ere… I shhdn't…"

Those slurred words cut deep, almost pulling a sob from Michelle in their way. She had come across this a few times before, both as a bartender and as a registered nurse. Survivors guilt. This poor man probably had enough of it for half a platoon.

"You can't mean that…" she probably shouldn't straight out disagree with him, but it was the first thing to tumble out of her mouth. She should probably have worked around the main issue, first. Then after a little while make Jack figure out on his own premises that having himself here was just as good.

"H'll if I cn say th't!" Jack growled, "T'mmy was b'tter m'n! He's was good!"

'He's was good? Great sentence structure there buddy…' Michelle thought at the back of her mind.

"Well, if it helps… I'm glad that YOU are here. I'm glad I could sit and talk with you all night…"

"no…"

"Yes I am…" Michelle reached across the table, almost touching Jack's hand, before thinking better of it and pulling her hand back. She didn't need to startle the man.

"No… 'mma disgrace… 'm not'in…"

Michelle lost her words. To her, the handsome soldier on crutches had been a delight go get to know. And in just a few short hours it felt like it would be hell to live without him once he packed up and headed back to where he spent his time. To have that man think he wasn't the best thing next to kittens and puppies was unbelievable to her.

They talked in circles for a good while, him loathing himself, her trying to make him understand how perfect and good she thought he was in her eyes. It lasted almost an hour, until Ken-Bobby managed to topple a table, making sure the four glasses on it and the hardwood tabletop all went to the floor in a loud crash.

Suddenly, when she looked back, Jack Dalton wasn't sitting across from her. She looked around, he wasn't out on the floor, heavens knew he wouldn't get far with that leg.

"SORRY MICH!" Ken-Bobby yelled across the room, his loud obnoxious drunk voice booming between the walls.

A low noise. Barely audible in the chaos of her bar revealed Jack's position. –Under the table. Curled up as best as he could. Eyes wide with panic, hyperventilating.

Michelle scooted out from the booth, and hurried over to Verner. "I've got a slight situation over here now. Care to take care of KB and that mess for me?"

Verner nodded. "Sure Mich…"

"Thank you…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As she made it back to the booth, she mentally went over what should have been on the table already. 2 coffee cups, 2 glasses, 1 jar of lemonade, 1 empty bowl of nachos, salt, pepper, chili sauce. No knives, forks or other cutlery.  
Everything that should be on the table still was.

She kneeled down in front of the table. Trying to make eye-contact. It wasn't easy, soldier's eyes were darting left and right.

"Hey there…" she whispered in a soft voice as she gently waved her hand just a bit. "You're safe. Nothing bad is happening here…"

Jack finally managed to lock eyes on her, even though he was still trembling.

"Jack, you're safe…" she repeated, "Do you understand?"

Jack didn't move.

"Can you hear me?"

Jack nodded hesitantly.

"You're in a bar. In Texas…" she tried to explain, "That noise, it was a table falling over. It wasn't dangerous. Nothing bad is happening…"

She kept her voice soft and mellow, like she had sanded off all sharp edges from it.

"Can you tell me where you are, so I know you heard me?"

"Bar."

"Good…" she nodded, still sitting on the floor about three feet from the table. "Where…?"

Jack shrugged, and quickly scrambled to the other side of the table as Ken-Bobby decided to throw a loud protest of being kicked out, at least for 30 minutes.

"So-so-so…" Michelle hushed, "You're still in a bar. Just one of my customers who don't wanna leave…"

Jack's eyes flashed between her and the direction of the noise.

"Trust me, it'll be over soon. Nothing dangerous. I promise…"

Michelle was relieved when she saw Jordan raising up from her seat in the corner where she usually sat and read some sort of college books. Knowing that Ken-Bobby would leave quietly once she was in the picture, Michelle's shoulders sagged down and she returned her full focus to Jack once again.

"Can you still hear me?"

Jack nodded.

"Where are we?"

"Afghanistan…" Jack shivered, before continuing. "Kabul…"

"No… We're in a bar in Texas." Michelle guided, "Can you see that neon sign above my left shoulder? Says 'Bud Light' doesn't it?"

Jack leaned sideways to look for what she was describing, finding the sign easily enough, then nodding.

"Bud Light. Now, can you tell me where we are?"

"A bar?"

"Yes… We're at a bar…" she nodded, "Where?"

Jack shrugged.

"Texas…" she assured, "You are home in the US, you're safe. There was a little ruckus here, but now that's over with. It was a table crashing to the floor. Nothing dangerous…"

"A table?"

"Yes, a table…" she repeated. "Some big fella lost his footing near one and sent it to the ground…"

Jack hesitantly looked in the direction the noise had come from.

"Would you like to come out here? It can't be good for you to sit on the floor with that injured leg of yours…"

Jack shook his head. But didn't move an inch.

"Okay, do you mind if I crawl in next to you?"

Jack didn't answer, he was obviously still focusing on evening out his breaths.

"I promise, I'm about as dangerous as a lamb…"

Jack held her gaze for almost a minute, before his head dropped to his chest.

"Don't…" He sighed, "I can be…"

"What?"

"I can be dangerous…" he answered as he brought his left hand up to wipe away a few tears he hadn't noticed until then. "It happened again, didn't it?"

"What did you think happened?"

"I had an episode…" Jack shrugged, still trembling with adrenaline. "PTSD or whatever the doctor called it…"

Michelle leaned against the couch on the opposite side of Jack. He was in the right hand corner up against the wall, she was near the rest of the bar to the left.

"I guess so…"

"Jesus, I'm so sorry…" Jack said, hiding his eyes with his hand, "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be…"

"You must think I'm a wimp…"

"Not at all!" Michelle said as she inched closer to the wall underneath the table. She stopped about halfway there. "Just a natural reaction…"

Jack shook his head.

Michelle wanted so bad to comfort this cinnamon roll of a human.

"Do you mind if I touch your leg?" she asked, looking over at Jack. "The one without the cast?"

Jack shook his head again, "No… Go ahead…"

She placed her left hand on his right leg, and started rubbing her hand in gentle circles over it. They sat like that for a couple of minutes, in silence.

Jack's eyes were glued to Michelle's hand travelling around on his right leg. After a little while it almost became hypnotic, like it was the only thing that mattered.

"Mind if I come closer?"

"Huh?"

"Mind if I come closer?" she repeated.

"You're already touching me…"

"Well, I want to sit next to you… Can I?"

After a few seconds of consideration Jack nodded and Michelle crawled up next to him. Her shoulder to his upper arm. She carefully placed her leg right next to his, careful not to jostle his injured leg. Then she let her hand rest palm up on her thing, and open invitation for him to grab a hold of it. It only took a couple of minutes before he understood the invitation and intertwined his fingers with hers.

Before long, she had her head rested up against his shoulder.

"How are you doing?" she whispered, rubbing her thumb across the outside of his.

"A little shaken…" he admitted. "Sorry you had to see that…"

"You don't have to apologize for it."

"I kinda do…"

"You couldn't help it… Therefore you don't have to apologize…"

"I could have been stronger…" Jack sighed, exhaustion again evident in his voice. The way he spoke his words still held a hint of drunkenness but he seemed a lot more sober now than a couple of hours earlier.

"Dear, that right there… It has nothing to do about not being strong. Most likely you've been too strong for too long…"

Jack shrugged.

"Trust me, Jack… You are strong enough…" she said looking up at his face, "And you are good enough…"

"You don't really know me…" Jack reminded her.

"I know you enough…" she reasoned and snuggled her head against the outside of his shoulder, she felt her heart skip a beat as he kind of melted into her in return.

 **Okay… So…**

 **A little survivors guilt, a little PTSD and a bit of fluff…  
Hope you had a good time reading this. **

**At first I tried really hard to figure out drinking/bar laws for Texas… Then I just decided to throw whatever law there is (or isn't) out the window, and decided –the law is in on this… The sheriff is a frequent there. What the heck. A rather lawless dive bar, who cares… *Shrug***


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, just little old me… Back with another chapter, hope you don't mind…**

"Hey son… Do you need some help out from there?" the sheriff asked after the last other patrons had decided that enough was enough and that the most sober one should drive them all home.

Jack jerked awake, blinking with confusion for a couple of seconds before he realized where he was. Still on the floor, under the table, with Michelle leaning against him. Or him leaning against her… Maybe a mix.

Trying to move by himself he quickly realized that it would be both difficult and painful to handle the task on his own, he nodded.

"Great, poke her a few times. Get her awake…" the said sheriff pointed to Michelle, "I can't leave her here all night, now can I?"

Jack chuckled a bit, "Think she'll have one sore neck if you do…"

The sheriff laughed and nodded as Jack nudged Michelle awake.

"Mornin' sleeping beauty…" the sheriff boomed, startling Michelle before she really woke up. "Wanna help me help your friend here up on the seat again?"

She nodded and started helping Jack out from underneath the table.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Once Jack was safely placed on the long seat of the booth again, Michelle loosened her ponytail and untangled her hair. Then she tied it back up again in a tighter ponytail.

"You guys just sit here while I clean for the night, when I'm done maybe we both could help Jack back to his motel…" she suggested, looking at Verner.

The sheriff nodded, taking a sip of the coffee he had poured himself.

"I take it you made everyone pay up…" Michelle asked, glancing over at Verner again.

"Yes Ma'am… Even Rooster…"

"Wow, I'm impressed… Did you sic Jordan after him?"

"No, just threatened with that…" sheriff Verner answered while he blushed.

"Okay, you boys just stay here. Don't do anything stupid, it'll only take 30 minutes or so… Tops…"

"Okay Mich…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple of seconds after Michelle had left them to get a bucket and a mop for the floor, sheriff Verner leaned over the table towards Jack.

"You're one helluva dude, ain't you?"

Jack met the man's gaze, then looked around the room, scanning for possible exits.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, rather nervously. He knew he wouldn't be able to get away in time if this took the turn his instincts told him it could. He just had to play it cool, hope for the best.

"No, just…" the sheriff took another sip of his coffee, "I've been trying to flirt with that woman, get her to look at me as something else than a friend ever since she was in high school…"

Jack nodded, beginning to tense up. It was never a good thing to get between a gal and the guy who believed he had dibs on her. And from his angle, it looked like he had just made that mistake.

"Okay, she was with this guy from two towns over for a couple of years. I kept my distance then… I'm not one to barge in and ruin relationships…" Verner shrugged, "But you come in to town, and in one night. ONE NIGHT. You have Michelle making heart-eyes towards you…"

Jack was about as tense as he could. To be fair, he couldn't sense any anger coming off the sheriff. But he knew this situation too well, he had been in similar ones too many times to count.

"-Sorry?"

"No… No no no…" The sheriff waved a hand in front of him. "Not like that… Not like that at all…"

"Okay?"

"I'm just curious, how do you do it? I haven't seen her like this, ever…"

Jack couldn't do anything but shrug his shoulders, he still wasn't trusting where the sheriff stood. If he had to prepare to get his ass handed to him before he left for L.A. or not.

"I don't know…"

"Well, whatever you do… Be kind to her. Whether this thing, if it is a thing. If you're into her too… Whether this thing lasts a few days, or if it's the end game… Be kind to her. Okay?"

Jack nodded.

"Good, cause if you ever, EVER, do wrong by her… Doesn't matter who you are, or how strong and tough you are…" the sheriff held his gaze for a few seconds, making sure Jack knew he was serious as could be, "I'll end you."

Jack swallowed and nodded.

"I don't mean to scare you, just telling it like it is." Verner added as he sat back against the seat, "She's one of my best friends. I know I have no authority over her, I know that. She's not mine, at least not as anything else than a good friend. But I can make damn sure no other guy comes along and ruins her life for her."

Jack dared to take a deep breath, it seemed the scenario he had imagined wouldn't happen after all.

"Now, tell me a bit about yourself…"

"What is there to tell?" Jack shrugged, still not completely comfortable in his position.

"Name, DOB, interests…" sheriff Verner suggested.

"Jack Dalton. February 3rd 1967, Football… Flying… Driving… Used to do rodeo way back when…" Jack answered shortly, he had that interrogation feeling, he couldn't describe it as anything else. It was the interrogation feeling. "And you, sheriff…"

"Sam Verner, August 15th 1978. Football, hell… I am from the state of Texas."

"Kinda like religion down here…" Jack grinned, feeling a bit more at ease.

Sam Verner nodded. "I also play guitar and do a bit of woodcarving…"

"Cool…" Jack nodded, he could play a couple of songs himself, but didn't see himself as good at it or anything. Woodcarving, well… He used knives in other ways.

"So you used to ride rodeo?"

Jack nodded.

"Long since you quit, or?"

"A while. Quit right around 9/11, it was a few months later I think I had my last ride. Was home from Afghanistan, on leave. Had some family business to attend to, managed to get in a couple of good rides before I shipped back. Then I got this…" Jack explained as he pulled the neck of his t-shirt out wide revealing a serious looking scar near his right shoulder, before he pulled up the sleeve to reveal just how far it stretched. "Couldn't do much for a couple of months, and to be honest. Getting kicked around and thrown didn't tempt me as much after that…"

"A bull or a bronc did that?" Verner asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, an IED did that…" Jack corrected, before shaking his head violently as if he was trying to clear away the memories the same way you erase the drawing on an Etch-a-Sketch.

"But it works well now?"

"Good as it is ever going to get I guess, it's old news by now…" Jack shrugged.

"That looked incredibly painful."

"It was. Years ago…" Jack admitted, now it only hurt when he was around colder climates. He hadn't liked winter assignments ever since the early 90's, but you kept your mouth shut and your complaints to yourself. And you got shit done.

"Okay, next question… Ever hit a woman?"

"Yes." Jack answered, "During a couple of operations, I have done that. But I think I had every right, seeing as the times that has happened. The women have been charging at me with either guns, knives or machetes… I've never hit a woman who didn't try to kill or seriously harm me, if that's what you're asking."

"I guess that is the one loophole there is…"

"You?"

The sheriff stayed silent for a few seconds, then he shook his head. "Not as an adult."

"Okay?"

"Well, since you're brutally honest and didn't swipe your stories under the rug… Think I hit my sister a couple of times when we were kids, she's five years older than me… I think I stopped by the time I was 12…"

"Did your sister also do what mine did?" Jack asked, "Dressing you up in their old dresses and put makeup all over your face?"

"That torture? Yes… Lots of times."

Jack smirked, "Sisters, can't live with them, can't live without them I guess."

The sheriff nodded.

"You like to read?"

Jack shrugged.

"Come on, you know if you like to read or not…"

"Well, I like to… I'm just not good at it…" Jack finally answered with a shrug.

"Okay, that's also an option…" Sam nodded, "Personally, I'm a bookworm. Currently I'm engulfed in Stephen King's 'Under the Dome'"

"I saw a bit of the TV-show, if the book is anything like it, it could be a fun read…"

"Trust me, it's better!" Sam smiled, "Stephen King has this incredible way of describing things, I was sold by the woodchuck at the start…"

"Woodchuck?"

"Yeah, the book starts with a woodchuck. Well, actually it starts with a woman taking flying lessons, but by the second page we meet the woodchuck…"

"Okay." Jack nodded, figuring that the sheriff had asked the questions important to him and now settled for small talk. "So… Ever been in the military?"

"For a short time. I enlisted, had a short stay in Afghanistan. To be honest, I wasn't cut out for it. I didn't even make it the full tour." Sam Verner answered, sounding ashamed.

"Hey, nothing wrong with that." Jack quickly consoled, "People are meant for different things. My partner, Mac, smart as could be. Comes up with all different kinds of gizmos. But when we are on op's he won't use a gun, I guess that's what I'm there for."

"Sounds like you're fond of him…"

"What can I say, kid's like a little brother." Jack smiled.

"Okay boys… I'm all done here, should we get going?" Michelle asked as she stepped over to the men.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The fact that Jack had been out hadn't gone unnoticed by Mac. Around midnight, an old friend from the Delta Force had called him up. It was a routine he had installed ever since their team started parting ways. Okay, most of the team still worked as one unit, but Mac and Jack had gone on to other things.

The first thing Mac had noticed was the empty bed a few feet over, next thing he checked was if Jack had decided that he would spend the night on the floor instead. It happened often enough. Then he found the handwritten note, Jack's chicken-scratch letters sprawled across the piece of paper.

 _'Hit the bar. Be back whenever. –J.'_

Seeing the note Mac knew that there was literally nothing he could do. He had tried that a couple of times through their friendship. Once he even ended up with a pretty nasty shiner. He had learned from that mistake.

He finished the conversation with his old team mate, informing him that he wouldn't be able to reach Jack before the next afternoon and that he would call back if something happened to Jack before that.

"Alright, little brother. Take care…"

"Will do, you too… Say hi to the rest of the pack for me, will you?"

"Sure thing baby brother…" the warmth in the other man's voice was thick, "They all say hi back!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac was relieved when he heard a key fumbling against the keyhole outside a little while before the sun would rise on another blazing hot Texas morning. He figured his best tactic would be to just ignore it for the time being. Jack probably needed to sleep, and/or he wouldn't be in the mood for any confrontations anyway.

Mac's curiosity peaked a little when he heard his old friend slur a low 'See ya around' to someone which quickly was answered by a female voice.

"I'll call you later, get some sleep soldier…"

Mac didn't have to look to know that Jack would flash a mock salute to the woman.

"Good night Michelle…"

There was a silence, and Mac interpreted it as a hug being shared, or a kiss.

"Now, get yourself in bed, I want to make sure you get there safely before I leave."

"Think I'll opt for the floor…" Jack thought out-loud.

"What now?" the woman, Michelle, asked surprised.

"-Coping skills…" Jack's voice sounded a little ashamed.

Michelle didn't say anything for a few seconds, when she broke the silence again her voice was even softer. Something Mac hadn't believed possible.

"Okay, as long as you get a couple good hours of sleep."

 **Okay… Hope you're enjoying yourself. I tried not making Sam Verner into a douche bag, but had to show that he was VERY protective of his friend Michelle.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again friends.**

 **First of all, I'd like to thank Gib for letting me play around with her OCs. They are awesome! Hope I did them justice, even though it's short and… Well… Not exactly action-filled… (Hopefully I'll get to borrow them again later on…)**

 **Also, this is just a short chapter, cause this got stuck in my head after reading Gib's (epic-as everything she writes) 'Government Issue'.**

His phone buzzed, and Jack could swear it was like having a siren set off right beside his ear. His head hurt immensely as he fumbled to get the electronic device out of his pocket. He then realized he still had his jeans on.

He answered the phone, letting out a few unintelligible groans and grunts before he managed to master his tongue enough to ask "What?"

He would recognize the laughter on the other side of the phone call anywhere.

"Man, baby brother said you were out drinking… Didn't expect you to get this shitfaced!" Cooper chuckled, laughing even harder as Jack let out a pained moan when his head protested against the loud voice.

"Shhhh…"

"Sorry, boss…" Coop said with a hushed voice. Even though it was years since Jack actually stopped being their boss, the old team still called him just that. "Just callin' to check in. Make sure you survived yesterday you know… Just the usual…"

"Barely…" Jack groaned, "Not sure I'm alive right now…"

"Well, you're talking to me… So I guess you didn't end up as one of the 22…" Cooper said, his voice flat. Stoic.

"Doing roll call?"

"Affirm." Coop nodded from where he was stuck on the opposite side of the earth, "We all made it through this one too…"

"Good. Shit… My head…"

"Hangover?"

"Hangover from hell…" Jack winced, "Remember that time I ran into the barrel of that tank?"

"I do…"

"That fades in comparison."

"Ouch…" Coop winced, "Guess you just want to sleep then?"

"Yup."

"Good to hear from you anyway…"

"Thanks, I'm glad you called." Jack admitted, "Good to hear the rest of the boys are okay."

"Call you in a couple of hours? Get an extended sit-rep?"

"Sure."

"Sleep well boss."

"Thanks…" Jack smiled softly before the call disconnected and he once again could catch a couple of Z's.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Boss doing alright?" Duncan asked as Coop pocketed his phone.

"In a little need of some sleep I guess, but the whole crew made it through this op too…"

Duncan nodded, "Was your brother, right? Reason for these calls you make after every Memorial Day, every Veteran's Day… Whenever something big happens on the news…?"

Coop clenched his jaw, nodding.

"I remember the first times I met him. During basic training…" Dunc remembered, running his hands down his face. "I remember doing push-ups, him down on his hands and knees by my head. Yelling. 'Forget 10 more, keep going till I'm tired! If you want to go where you said, better kick up your fucking pace!' I owed my spot on the Delta Force to him. Don't think I would have met the requirements if it hadn't been for him. He was a tough son of a gun that brother of yours."

"He was…" Coop nodded, collapsing on top of the crate which acted as their table, "Never saw it coming though… Guess you never do…"

Duncan nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I've got to act like a trained monkey for a while. Get the operation details from TOC…" Coop sighed as he pushed himself off the crate again, "Man, Jack was much better at this shit…"

"Years of practice…"

"Nah… He just had it in him…"

"So will you, in a few more years…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac re-entered Jack's motel room couple of hours later. He had a bag of take out in his left hand and a large cup of coffee in his right.

"How's the head?"

"Better…" Jack answered after he managed to blink his vision clear. Then he pushed off the ground, careful with his leg. "How long did I sleep?"

"Think you're going on your 12th hour now…" Mac shrugged, "Brought some grub, figured that if you weren't ill you would probably be hungry as a shark…"

Jack smirked, hopping over to the table without using his crutches or anything else to aid him. "What would I have done without ya?"

"Called for delivery…" Mac shrugged, knowing that wasn't what Jack was meaning. "How's the leg?"

"Let's not talk about that…" Jack sighed.

"Bad?"

Jack just hit him with a look that told Mac not to press the matter.

"Okay, here…" Mac shrugged, handing over the take-out bag.

"Thank you…" Jack yawned as he opened up the paper bag to find a box of Chinese. "You're the best."

 **Okay… Another chapter down.**

 **Again, Gib… THANK YOU!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Back again…**

As time passed, it was obvious to Mac that Jack was in a whole lot of pain. Last night's bar trip had taken its toll on the former Delta operator.

As Jack grew more annoyed and tired with the pain, he turned grumpier and grumpier. Soon enough he was the human reincarnation of the Grumpy Cat. And even though Mac adored and loved the older man as a brother and father figure, he couldn't stand this version of Jack for too long at the time.

Just as Mac was about to sneak back to his own motel room, Jack's phone rang. Of course Jack had managed to leave his phone on the nightstand before he had placed himself on the couch by the window. The heavy sigh coming from him as he was about to push himself out of the couch had Mac stop in his tracks.

"Let me get that for you, before I head out…" He knew moving would be a bitch for Jack, so he skipped over and grabbed the phone for Jack.

"Don't have to…" Jack grumbled, but sat back on the couch and lifted his leg back onto the seat. "But thank you…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Yep, hello… It's Jack Dalton…" Jack answered as he accepted the call.

"Hi, it's Michelle…" the voice on the other end greeted. "How are you feeling?"

Jack shrugged, he didn't want to complain to her. "Not as bad as when I woke up the first time today…"

"Okay, at least that's good."

"How about you?" Jack asked, draping his left hand over the back of the couch. He forced himself to keep his tone light and his grumbling to a minimum. It was easy enough around new people, some sort of 'honeymoon-phase' of sorts. He didn't bother to do that around Mac anymore.

"I'm good…" Michelle answered, her tone light with a smile brightening up her voice. "So, do you still want some company today?"

"Sure thing!" Jack grinned. He wanted to get to know this lady better, and realized that the opportunity might be a one time chance.

"Wanna go out for dinner tonight?"

Jack hesitated a little, "I don't think I'm up for that… I'm kinda having a couch-potato day…"

"Okay, but are you hungry?"

"Could always eat something, but it isn't a pressing matter…"

"Okay, but if you're still at the motel room in an hour or so. I could bring by some homemade stuff."

"You don't have to do that, at least not for me…" Jack smiled picking at the seam of the back of the couch. "But trust me, I won't be heading out."

"I want to do it. Besides, I usually make some sort of dinner every day, so I'm not really stepping out of my way either."

"Well, then… I would love it."

"I'll see you in a while then…" Michelle chirped.

"Yeah, see you…" Jack smiled back, and waited for the call to disconnect.

Company and homemade dinner? This day might not be too bad after all.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

There was a knock on the door 68 minutes later. Because the motel door had a spring lock like just about every other motel room door, Jack had to get up and open it.

Michelle stood outside the door with a big zinc tub, in it she had one casserole, a couple of bowls and cutlery.

"Wow, that smells amazing." Jack commented with raised eyebrows, before he went on to greet her. "Hello, by the way."

Michelle beamed towards Jack, happy that her home cooked meal would be much appreciated.

"Hello yourself…" she winked.

"Come on in…" Jack said. Hopping aside, making room for Michelle to step inside. Wincing as just about his whole body protested.

"You okay?"

" .day…" Jack bit out, sinking down in the nearest chair. He spent a couple of seconds to compose himself, before he sat up straight rubbing at his left knee. Then he tried out for one of his best crooked smiles. "Sorry, think I had a rough night yesterday…"

"You did…" Michelle sighed as she put the tub on top of the television table. The furniture was no longer in use, because the old box had been changed out with a wall mounted flat screen. "You took a tumble as you tried to get to the restrooms by yourself some time yesterday. Travis said he wasn't sure, but he thought it looked like you stepped down on your leg then… You assured us all that everything was alright, but I could drive you to the hospital now if you'd like…?"

"No… And who was Travis again?"

"Big hairy dude. Looks like he beats up kittens all day, but he is really one of the kindest and most caring folks I know of. Looks can deceive…"

"Oh, yeah… That dude." Jack nodded as he thought back, "Reminded me of a guy I once knew. Charlie. One of my fellow army men… Could make life a living hell for you if you happened to get him to whip your sorry ass into shape. But you know, necessary roughness. Heart of gold."

"Once knew?"

"He's no longer… He com-" Jack started, but the phrases 'no longer with us' and 'committed suicide' felt so overused. "He, uhh… Chowed down on some muzzle blast…"

Okay, that sounded heartless and rude, but really… There were no way to sugar-coat it, not for him. The guy had been his best friend, and even though it was years since it happened. Jack hadn't quite forgiven him or himself for what had happened.

"My condolences…"

Jack nodded, then jumped when his phone suddenly started ringing. He picked it up and saw the name on the screen.

"Crap." He breathed, "I really need to take this one. I'm sorry…"

Michelle shrugged and nodded. "Then take it."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey Coop!" Jack answered quickly. Michelle could hear the other person, Coop, say something. Probably something within the usual 'hello' or 'how are you?'.

"No, I'm not involved in that op. I'm kinda sidelined for the time being…" Jack responded to something the voice had said.

This time Michelle could hear Coop repeat the word 'sidelined' quite loud.

"Yeah, messed up my leg a few weeks back. Dealing with crutches and all that crap…"

'Crutches? Dude, what did you do man?' Michelle heard the other man quite clearly. 'Jump off a cliff!?'

Jack's cheeks turned red as he nodded. "Matter of fact… -Yes…"

'Boss! We've talked about this, if you ever think of doing something stupid…' the man, Coop, almost shrieked. 'Call me, or someone! Talk about it! I know we think we're tough Deltas, but we're not too tough to talk things through!'

"Wasn't like that Cooper…" Jack informed, "I was on an op, had to get down a ledge. Misjudged, miscalculated… I don't know. Landed shitty, took out the thinnest bone in my left leg."

'So you're…?'

"Right now, I'm having a beautiful woman over. She has brought some homemade chow with her. I'm good, I'm glad you called. But it's got to be like 3 in the freaking morning over where you are." Jack quickly calculated after glancing at the clock on the wall. "Whadda'ya say I call you before I turn in tonight? Bet it'll be mid-day for you before then…"

'Okay. Enjoy your company, and I demand an extended, EXTENDED, sit-rep by then!'

Jack chuckled and nodded to himself. "Okay, Coop… Talk to you later."

'Love you boss…'

"You too brother… Take care!"

'Take care!'

Michelle watched with a trace of amusement as the call ended without any definitive good-byes.

"Sorry…" said as he returned his focus on Michelle. "It was Coop, the kid brother of the guy I just mentioned…"

Michelle studied Jack, not saying anything herself.

"Charlie and I went through basic together, ended up pushing each other beyond limits even we didn't believe we could reach. Ended up in the same unit. Couple years later, his kid brother joins us. Tall, strong and a give'em hell attitude. Basically what our unit were made up of…"

Michelle couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Went through hell and back a couple of times. We were all in the same rotation. It was our unit, just us six. We had leave at the same time, and…" Jack swallowed hard as his eyes suddenly teared up, "One morning, round 6 a.m. I get a call from Coop, saying that Charlie had… -You know…"

Michelle couldn't speak. She didn't know how to respond. What do you say to something like that?

Jack wiped his eyes, like it would wipe away this current train of thoughts. "Anyway, whenever Coop calls. I kinda have to answer."

Michelle nodded. She understood that perfectly clear.

"Enough about that…" Jack sat forward, "You look perfect!"

Michelle blushed, she didn't feel perfect. Her ponytail was sitting uneven, she wore a thin worn pair of denim shorts and an olive tank top.

"Thank you…" she smiled a shy smile, "You clean up pretty good yourself…"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, well… You could say taking a shower wasn't optional today…"

"I'll take your word for it."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So you were a Delta Operator?" Michelle finally built up the confidence to ask as she poured up a second helping from the casserole.

Jack looked up, stunned.

"Sorry, your friend talked quite loud on the phone…"

Jack nodded, then he relaxed. "Yeah, I was Delta."

"Miss it?"

"Not really…" Jack shrugged, truth was; life hadn't changed much for him. "Didn't really change career path when I left…"

"The guy called you boss…?"

Jack chuckled, "Old habits die hard I guess. I was the senior and highest ranking in out unit. I got the glorious job of babysitting five adult children and presenting them with the details of the ops we were given."

Michelle smirked, the way Jack described the old team told her a lot about the group. Obviously they meant everything to each other, his voice revealed that. And his words formed her a picture of them. Probably a rag-tag band of misfits, too wild for the regular army life, too good to write off.

"But hey, you know a lot about me already…" Jack let out a light laugh, "What about you? Always been a bartender?"

"No…" Michelle answered, her head slowly turning side to side. "I was a nurse for a few years, before my dad figured that he didn't want to work at the bar full-time anymore. My older brother shouldn't own a bar, and my younger brother had decided that he wanted to study to be a lawyer once he got through high school…"

Jack nodded with interest.

"The college part doesn't seem to go too well, but… He's trying." Michelle shrugged, "I feel like the worst sister ever when I wish he would just quit now and take over the bar instead…"

"You don't like it?"

"I enjoy it." Michelle shrugged, "But I liked being a nurse more. You could always make things better then. If I couldn't fix it, I could always make it more bearable."

"Superhero in scrubs…" Jack smiled as he pictured Michelle in her uniform. Some men might have fantasies based around those skimpy little Halloween outfits that should resemble old-timey nurse dresses, but the real deal worked just as fine in Jack's opinion.

"Big family or little one?"

"Two brothers… I'm stuck in the middle…" she shrugged, "And you?"

"Yeah, big one. Five sisters, one brother." Jack let his head loll back. "My twin, Nick, looks just like me. Guess if we had a lot of fun as kids?"

"I'm thinking you did…"

Jack nodded proudly. "Teachers feared us…"

Michelle couldn't help but laugh, making Jack chuckle in return.

"I bet they did…"

"I remember this one time, we both competed in rodeo for a while. Nick stopped competing our junior year of high school. I stopped after my second tour in the war on terror."

"Not enough time?"

"More like, wrecked my shoulder and couldn't hold on to the rope for months. Just never made it back to the arena after that…"

Michelle nodded. "I did barrel racing up to my senior year."

 **Okay. I have to take a break here, cause I'm yawning like a fool and I don't like to have stuff waiting to be posted on my computer.**

 **Hope you liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello darlings! Just wanted to thank you all so much for the fantastic comments!**

Mac was about to lock himself in to Jack's motel room with the spare key they he had made sure to get. The only thing stopping him was the female voice inside.

He stopped. Listened. Figured out that it had to be the woman who obviously had helped Jack home last night. Michelle.

Then he heard Jack. His voice was happy and up-beat. The familiar laughter that roared through the walls caused Mac to smile. It was good to hear that Jack was in a better mood now, than when Mac had left.

Mac grinned and headed for his own room instead.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"…and then I looked up, caramel-sauce covering literally every inch of my upper body, and I go: 'Talk about a sticky situation…'" Jack explained as he thought back.

"That has to be the cheesiest line I've ever heard!" Michelle laughed. "And how did he react?"

"My staff sergeant?" Jack waited for her to nod. "Well, one of my buddies got the opportunity to take a picture of me, vacuuming the parking lot… Of course he sent a copy home to ma and pa… And another copy ended up on our 'wall of shame'…"

Michelle chuckled, wiping away moisture from her eyes.

"Wasn't the last time I pissed off SSG Parker either. He once made me shovel sand from one hole and into another, then back again, for three hours."

"What had you done to deserve that?!"

"I might, or might not, have borrowed his Jeep without clarifying it with Parker first."

"For what?"

"Charlie and I all wanted a trip to town. We were so fed up with everything army at that point, and just wanted to have one night off." Jack shrugged.

"So you weren't a choir-boy during your days in the army?" Michelle asked with a challenging eyebrow.

"No." Jack chuckled, "My superiors quickly deemed me as trouble. Trouble, but with skills. Luckily enough Charlie and I were competing to be the best, we did well enough to be picked out for the special forces…"

"You liked being a Delta operator?"

"I fit in there…" Jack shrugged, "Plus the adrenalin highs and all the action suited me just fine. So, yeah… Guess I liked it. Sure as hell didn't vacuum another parking lot after that."

Michelle smiled. She couldn't help but picture a young version of Jack with in the middle of a parking lot with a vacuum cleaner in one hand.

"Please tell me that picture still exists…"

"Oh, it does…" Jack shuddered, "The guy who took it made sure to make enough copies to last a lifetime. Each Christmas he sends me a bar of snickers or something like that, and a copy of the damn picture."

"…And how long must I have known you before I get to see that picture?"

"Guess the next chance is December 25th. He'll probably send another copy this year too."

"Hope you don't mind a little holiday company then…" Michelle smirked.

"Inviting yourself over already?"

Blushing, Michelle nodded. "Unless you'd like to spend your holiday here in Texas…"

"Is heavenly food a part of that deal? Cause that casserole there was mindblowing!"

"Of course…"

"As long as I'm not working, I'll show up at your bar. You know… Hoping to get invited back home with you…" Jack thought out loud, wishing that he would have the chance of taking a few days off when Christmas came around.

"You better." Michelle winked.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Hours passed, and suddenly the watch read 4 a.m..

Michelle yawned and stretched her back. "It's been a fun night, but I bet you're at least as tired as me…"

Jack had to admit he was tired.

"Guess I should get back home then…"

"Is it a long drive to your place?" Jack asked.

"40 minutes or so…" Michelle shrugged, "I cooked at the bar, figured that was the only way to serve you a warm meal…"

"If you're tired, you shouldn't drive all that way." Jack shot in. "You could sleep here, I'll take the couch or the floor."

"You don't have to…"

"I'd feel a whole lot better if I knew you wouldn't be driving for so long to get back home, as tired as you are. And if you're worried, I pose no threat…"

"Well, my family already knows where I am and who I'm with…" Michelle chuckled, "But I wouldn't have come here if I really thought you would harm me…"

"Come on, stay the night. You can drive home after a couple of hours of shut-eye."

Michelle grinned, "Well, guess I'll stay then…"

Jack beamed.

"But only if you take the bed yourself…" Michelle nodded towards the furniture.

"I could sleep literally anywhere. Think our old squad motto was 'anything can be your pillow…'" Jack informed, "It's true though… Even a box of cartridges works just fine… You take the bed…"

"Okay, I'll sleep in the bed…" Michelle sighed, before she continued, "As long as you're also in it…"

Jack couldn't conceal the surprise that attacked him. "Are you trying to get me to bed?"

"Just platonically, -for now." Michelle winked, mischief in her eyes.

"For now?"

"For now."

"I hope you're not fooling me into getting my hopes up…" Jack tilted his head, "It's not fair to play with a man's feelings like that…"

"You've got feelings for me?"

"I'd be a fool if I didn't."

Michelle blushed, her left hand coming up to hide the shy smile on her lips.

"Lucky me." Michelle smiled. Then she turned serious. "Oh, remember to call that Delta friend of yours before you go to bed!"

Jack nodded, "I remember. I'll just step outside, might take a little while…"

"I supposed so, I'll be waiting here when you get back in…"

 **Okay… I do not have the most confidence in my writing skills when I step away from my whump-training-wheels… I always feel like my writing gets dull very quickly when I'm not showering the characters with pain… Anyone else know that problem?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Back at it, with yet another chapter…**

Jack leaned against the railing as he dialed the familiar number. It rang twice before the person on the other end of the line picked up.

"Hey Jack. SIT-REP! Extended. NOW!" Cooper's voice boomed against his eardrum.

"I'm doing good. Little tired, so done with this…"

"No! Wrong sit-rep!" Cooper laughed, "Sure I want that one too, but the girl! Who is she? Any good chances there?"

Jack chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, her name's Michelle. Think her last name is Sawyer. She's a bartender and a nurse, and she's a helluva cook!"

"And your heart has probably already decided that you love her, right?" Coop asked, hope in his voice.

"No… Naw…"

"You have. I can hear it in your voice, and your words!"

"Okay… SHE's AMAZING!" Jack whispered intensely, kinda afraid that Michelle would hear him through the wall. "She's… She's…"

"Go on…" Coop laughed, "Tell me, how does she look?"

"Green eyes, tan skin, light brown hair. Curls." Jack started as he pictured the woman in his room.

"How tall is she?"

"Not tall, 5'2" I'd guess…"

"That's tiny!"

"Everyone is tiny compared to you, you tall freak!" Jack shot back, but there wasn't any menace in his voice.

"I'm not that tall…"

"6'7" is too tall Coop…"

"6'8"…"

"Cooper… You are so freaking tall that you don't really have to correct people when they think you're an inch shorter than you actually are. It's excessive either way!" Jack chuckled, "I don't understand how you're able to camouflage yourself, because you're scary good at that!"

"-Reach out and touch someone…"

"Yeah, thanks for that heart-attack… Still haven't forgotten it…" Jack grimaced as he remembered an op they had been on, where Cooper had camouflaged himself so good that Jack hadn't seen him. Not before a giant hand had been wrapped around his ankle.

"For a second I was positive you were going to wet yourself back then boss." Cooper teased.

"Yeah, I almost did." Jack admitted, "Not fair to do such things to a fellow teammate during combat you know… But I'm glad you actually touched me with your hand and not a bullet."

"Yeah-yeah… Back to Michelle… 5'2", what more can you tell?"

"Perfect."

"Come on!"

"Good hips, looks like a work of art when she walks…" Jack grinned, knowing it would make Cooper frustrated.

"Wide, medium, narrow? Good hips don't really describe anything!"

"On her?"

"Yes, on her you moron! I don't want to know how your hips looks, I already know that brother!"

"On a taller girl, I think they would be deemed as normal, or medium… But on her, they look slightly wide, just slightly, and up against her waist it's enough to give a man respiratory problems."

"Okay, think I can picture it!" Coop grinned.

"You can make out the muscles on her, but it's covered in a healthy layer of fat. Looks stunning."

"-She's not jacked?"

"No… No-no-no…" Jack chuckled, "She's fit."

"How old is she?"

Jack fell silent for a couple of seconds, before he finally answered. "32…"

"So if this all works out, I might actually become an uncle?"

"COOP!" Jack hissed.

"Hey, just sayin'… She's young enough to become a mother, you're still able to reproduce…"

"Coop…" Jack repeated, thankful that the conversation was per phone and not in person. Cooper would have teased him endlessly for the red tint that took over his cheeks.

"Come on boss… You know you'd be the best father there ever was!"

"I would probably find a way to screw it up either way, -I always do…"

"You didn't screw up our squad…"

"That's because we were generally screwed up already…" Jack chuckled, "Now, how's the team doing?"

"Just got a new assignment…"

"-And?"

"I've got a bad feeling 'bout this one boss…" Cooper admitted, his voice no longer holding the same spark.

"Okay…?"

"It's been silent over here. Literally nothing to do for almost a month."

"That's never a good sign…" Jack agreed, it wasn't really superstition either. It was a tried and tested fact. If there was a long stretch of nothing to do, someone was planning something big. Either their side, or the other one, -or the universe itself.

"My gut is telling me that we will need MEDEVAC, and that our radios will fail exactly two minutes before the need arrives."

"That was specific…"

"But you know the feeling, right?"

"Yeah, I do…" Jack sighed, it had happened too many times to count during his long, action-packed career. "Hope they didn't call the op easy too, just to fuck you guys up…"

"They did use that word…"

"Good luck buddy…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Cooper sighed and looked at the improvised table where the plans for the next mission laid. He had gone over them with Duncan first, in private, then with the rest of the squad.

He didn't like this. Not at all. It already felt like they were headed into an ambush. _If your attack is going well, you're walking into an ambush._ Another one of Murphy's laws of combat. Tried and tested, never failed. Same thing went for when your superior said something along the lines of ' _It should be easy to advance…'_ That too usually meant an ambush was coming for you.

Oh how he wished that good ol' Jack could be there with him. Guide him through these difficult things.

"Jack…"

"Yeah?"

"Ever thought about coming back?"

There was a long silence on the other end, but Cooper didn't feel uneasy because of it. There was no chance he would have offended Jack by asking that question either way.

"If they would let me, I would…" Jack finally sighed, "But turns out, they don't want old washed up rodeo-riders with bad joints and even worse attitude…"

"Come on, you don't have a bad attitude…"

"-Have you ever been my boss?"

"No…"

"Well, then you haven't met that attitude…" Jack chuckled.

"Speaking of bad joints, how is the leg? It was the leg you had injured right?"

"Oh, yeah… It's good, well… At least it's not the worst…"

Cooper nodded as he picked up a knife from the crate-turned-table. "Didn't expect it to be… But you are expected to get back in the game?"

"Yes, I fully intend to get back out there…"

"Good…" Cooper nodded, "I'm glad to hear that… By the way, even though you're injured, it was good to hear that you weren't part of that operation in China…"

"Yeah, never good when something covert ends up on the news, huh…" Jack sighed. "Guess a messed up leg is better than that option…"

"Yeah, me and the boys… -The ones who were here before you left at least, maybe even the FNGs (Fucking New Guys). We got a bit anxious when we heard about it. I figured you still could be considered an immortal, but… You never know, now do you?"

"Aww… You were worried about me?" Jack half teased.

"Yeah… 'Bout you and Mac…" Cooper admitted. "We hear talk like that, we automatically switch on our phones and read up on it. Then we worry…"

"Hey… Ain't nothing going to happen to me…" Jack tried in a light tone, "And if anyone even considers coming close to the kid, they are gonna have to answer to me first!"

"I thought so boss…" Coop relaxed a bit, even though he knew that Jack couldn't, without a doubt, promise what he was saying.

"-Hey man… Hang on for a few seconds, I've got to take a seat…" Jack grumbled as he pushed himself off the railing and grabbed a hold of his crutches with his right hand. "Just a moment…"

"Okay…" Cooper nodded, suddenly realizing the labored breathing he had been listening to for 42 minutes already. He felt guilty for not realizing that one of his best buddies had struggled with pain for all of that time.

He heard some scratchy noises, followed by ten seconds of semi-silence, then the scratchy noises came back on followed by Jack's voice. "Okay, done… So… FNG's… Do they look promising?"

"Well, compared to the rest of the squad, they look like monkeys trying to figure out how to use a shovel…" Coop sighed, "But something tells me we all looked like that when we were fresh-faced noobs…"

"You did…" Jack laughed, "Even you. But trust me, as long as they find their place within the group and get confident with your friendship… The skills will emerge after a while. Those guys were handpicked in one way or another, they're just new…"

"Thanks…" Cooper let out a breath of relief, "Gets my hopes up at least a bit. Might happen that we turn them into real Delta's in a while…"

"You will, I have no doubt about it."

Cooper smiled, a vote of confidence from his former boss was a big thing these days. Especially when your former boss was freaking Jack Wyatt Dalton.

He looked at his wristwatch, they had spent 45 minutes talking on the phone, and what passed for lunch was about to be served. "Hey, uhmmm… It was good talking to you, good to hear that you're doing alright. And try to reel that girl in, she sounds super. I'm totally going to get one of the new guys to find her on Facebook for me, it was Michelle Sawyer or something right?"

"Yeah…" Jack chuckled, he already knew Coop would do something just like that.

"Heal up and take care of yourself! I'll take a trip next time I have leave."

"Sounds great, bet Mac misses you as much as I do."

Cooper grinned but something was stinging in his eyes.

"Lunch ETA is 5 mikes, so I kinda have to head out. You know, if I don't want old rubber soles on my toast…"

Jack laughed, "Come on, food's not that bad!"

"No, it's not…" Cooper admitted.

"Alright, take care. Say hi to the other meatheads, and kick ass during that operation you're heading into." Jack smiled, "When in doubt, just ditch the guns and send something 'to whom it may concern…'"

"Grenades or air-strike?"

"Whatever feels handy…" Jack chuckled.

"Alright. Take care!"

"You too, brother…" Jack repeated.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle was still awake when Jack hobbled inside almost 50 minutes after he had gone out to talk on the phone.

"Good talk?"

Jack nodded as he headed for the bathroom. "Talked a little about everything… Sorry it took a while…"

"Wouldn't expect any less…" Michelle smiled back just before Jack closed the door.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Now, come lay down here…"

Jack smiled and hobbled over to the opposite side of the bed. He stripped off his jeans fist, then he sat down on the bed with the hem of his shirt in his hands. After a few seconds of him not moving Michelle spoke up again.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just…" Jack let his shoulders slump a little bit, he wasn't quite sure of what to say. "I don't wanna scare you, but I realize…"

He fell silent, still with the hem of his shirt in his hands.

"What?"

"I realize that I might if I take off my shirt…"

"And why would that scare me?" Michelle asked, sitting up straight in the bed.

"Scars. I've got a lot of them…"

"I'm sure I could love them…" Michelle said as she crawled closer to see Jack's face. "Because they're a part of you…"

A faint smirk tugged at Jack's lips, "Some of them are pretty gnarly…"

"I don't care, won't scare me anyway!" Michelle concluded.

"Okay…" Jack nodded, "I trust you on that one…"

He pulled off his t-shirt too, revealing all sorts of old battle-wounds. Then he waited.

"Okay… What do you think…?"

"I think you should stop worrying, and get some rest…" Michelle chuckled, "And don't be scared of showing me your scars…"

Jack let out a nervous laugh, "Okay…"

Michelle nodded, as she laid herself down on the right side of the bed. "And don't even think about taking the couch or the floor unless it is a coping mechanism. If I should move around too much in my sleep and cause you pain, kick me out of the bed instead. Okay?"

Jack rolled over on his side looking at her, before he nodded. "Okay ma'am…"

 **Okay. Messy chapter… Sorry…**

 **I once had a plan for how the phone call was supposed to go. But as I started writing it that plan got shot to hell with a mortar… I think…**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello and thanks for all the reviews and comments! Favs and follows! Thanks guys!**

Jack couldn't understand anything when he woke up. Even though it was right after memorial day, he had had the best sleep he could remember. It wasn't all that much of a stretch to say it had been years since the last time he had been granted rest this peaceful. And to sleep like that the day after memorial day? Usually the week after any one of the military holidays consisted of one nightmare after the other.

He blinked a few times at the ceiling, and looked over towards his right, Michelle was still sleeping. She was on her stomach, her right arm splayed out over the mattress, her hand resting on top of his forearm.

He stayed like that until she woke up too, half an hour later.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Good morning…" she half muttered, half smiled, before she really woke up. She was still squinting against the sun coming in through the curtains.

"Good morning." Jack smiled back. She was cute like this. Her hair was a mess, and she was fighting off those slightly sleepy grimaces, but she was still one of the most beautiful people Jack had ever laid eyes on. Not a bombshell beauty, but the just the kind of normal, beautiful girl you should end up with. The one that would ultimately wreck your heart if she ever left.

"You a morning person?" she winced as her head fell back onto the pillow, she obviously wasn't.

"Not really…" Jack chuckled, "But I woke up a little while ago. Had time to adjust…"

She nodded into the pillow. "Sorry, I look like a troll when I first wake up."

"Relax, we all do…" Jack chuckled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

15 minutes later they hadn't moved, but Michelle was much more awake than earlier.

In unspoken agreement she had crawled closer, he had wrapped his arm around her, and now she had her head rested on his right shoulder and her arm draped across his waist.

It felt good. It felt like that one thing that had been missing for a really long time. A safe haven, a home.

Jack couldn't help but lean his nose up against her hair, to smell the sweet perfume-like smell of her shampoo. It smelled like some kind of flower, sweet and fresh. –Intoxicating. He could have stayed like that forever.

Her fingers were busy stroking back and forth over his 6th and 7th rib on the left side. Jack didn't have to look to know that her fingers had found a patch of scar-tissue, and/or the callouses on the bones underneath.

He pulled her even closer in a one-armed hug, placing a kiss on top of her head.

"Jack…"

He nodded, knowing she would register it.

"What'd you get this from?"

"Bullet." He shrugged.

She nodded.

"Turned out my vest wasn't as bullet proof as it could have been, but it stopped fairly quickly after."

She nodded again, and her long, curly hair tickled against him.

There was a little stretch of silence before she asked another question. "Does it bother you that I ask?"

Jack shook his head, "-no…"

She nodded again, and Jack had to concentrate not to flinch away from the tickling sensation.

"And this one?" she asked after a while, her hand placed a little south and a little right of his belly button.

Jack grimaced as he thought back, "I'm not sure you want to know that one…"

"Okay. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to…" she was quick to respond.

"No, it's not that…" Jack assured her, "It's just… Story behind that one is pretty nasty… But I could tell you how I got it…"

She nodded again, as she let her right leg brush against his.

"Well…" Jack took a deep breath, steeling himself for the story. "It was back in '05 or '06 I think. Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, don't really remember… All that turned into some kinda blur…"

Her hand was still resting on top of the gnarly scar. The main one was about five inches long, curving slightly downward again on the top closest to his hip. The pale area was almost an inch wide at the most, a soft crater against surrounding tan skin.

"One thing I remember is that we were far from our base. A guy on another squad set off a tripwire… It went Ka-Boom…"

"Shrapnel?" she asked as her thumb brushed over the area.

"No… Well… -kinda…" Jack grimaced, "It was organic…"

She removed her hand as she angled her head to look up at him. "What?"

"The other guy, he went everywhere…" Jack frowned, "I caught a piece of his jaw."

"-Ouch…" Michelle winced in sympathy for both Jack and the other guy, before she let her hand travel back to the first scar.

Jack couldn't help but feel like the story had grossed her out. It probably had, it had to.

"Like I said, yucky story…"

Michelle nodded, but didn't say anything for almost a full minute. "You said you were far from your base…"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, over 150 kilometers… Thankfully MEDEVAC was close by."

Michelle nodded again. "Must've been a good combat medic who dealt with that one…"

"Yeah, Pete… He's one of the best, sometimes the most annoying, but still one of the best."

"One of the most annoying?"

"Yeah…" Jack chuckled. "Let's say I got a little hurt, fractured wrist or something. I would think I could go on, he would not agree…"

"Wise man, I guess…"

"What? You're taking his side?" Jack feigned shock.

Michelle relaxed and nodded. "I would have agreed."

"Come on, I could still pull the trigger, I was good to go back out there…"

Michelle laughed, "I'm hoping you're talking about that wrist now, or are you Superman?"

"Yeah, it was the wrist…" Jack agreed, "On the trip back to our base when I got that scar on the other hand, my gut was held together by duct-tape… I wasn't up for combat for a good while…"

Michelle nodded, "I would have been worried if you were…"

 **Okay, hope you're enjoying this still. Hope you still find it kinda interesting. Hope I'm not totally Mary-Sue'ing her. I try to avoid it, not easy… Not easy at all… (I mean, try to write an OC you want EVERYONE to like, without turning her into a flat piece of cardboard…) I might have a couple of things for Jack to discover about her as time passes, but it's not like it would be the first things he would pick up on… Oh lawwwwddd… I'm in a deep mess!**

 **THIS IS WHY I LOVE MY WHUMP TRAINING-WHEELS!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again! Just me, you know…**

They laid like that for a long while, hugging each other close. Finally Jack's stomach figured out it was time for breakfast, announcing such with a loud growl.

"Hungry soldier?" Michelle whispered in Jack's ear.

"Yeah, guess I am…" he chuckled, letting his left hand rub over his tummy.

"There's an IHOP just behind the motel…" Michelle shrugged, I could run over and get something to-go…"

Jack shrugged, "Or we could both walk over there and eat…"

"You up for that?"

"Sure…" Jack nodded, "I've gotten plenty of rest."

"Okay…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle stopped as they rounded the second corner of the motel. They were more than halfway to the entrance of the IHOP, but she seriously thought about stopping Jack and offer to go get her car so they could drive the last 50 yards.

"You doing okay there tough guy?" she finally asked, her eyes locked on the thin sheen of sweat covering Jack's forehead.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Jack lied, he was already out of breath and his leg was throbbing like crazy.

"Fine never means that you're doing okay…" Michelle sighed, "It's rather the opposite. When you're doing _fine_ you're either in physical or emotional pain. Or both. So which one is it?"

Jack sighed and let his shoulders slump down a bit. "Leg's aching…"

"Want me to get the car, I could drive you the last stretch…"

Jack shook his head, "No, we're basically there already."

Michelle shrugged, then nodded. "Okay, but when we're about to leave, let me just run ahead and get the car, Okay?"

"That won't be necessary…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah… Took a few pills just before we left…" Jack admitted, "They just haven't kicked in yet…"

"Are you sure you don't want me to get the car?"

Jack nodded, "Positive. But if we could just take a breather here for a couple more seconds, that would be awesome."

"Of course…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple minutes later, they stepped into the diner. They were met by a stocky blonde with an apron.

"Welcome to… Hi Ella!" the blonde beamed, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Hi Raelynn…" Michelle smiled back, "It's been too long… You're right. Could you find a table for us?"

"For you two?" Michelle nodded while Raelynn looked Jack up and down. "And who might this be?"

Jack was left gaping like a fish, he wasn't sure what to answer. He hadn't been prepared for the question either.

"Jack is a guy I'm seeing." Michelle answered for them after a couple of seconds.

"Good for you." Raelynn smiled at Michelle before she turned towards Jack. "Jack, this one is a keeper. I'm telling ya!"

"I'm starting to understand that…" Jack smiled, his cheeks changing color as his eyes flicked over towards Michelle.

"This way…" Raelynn smiled as she grabbed two menus and lead them towards a table.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As Raelynn headed back to grab a cup of coffee for both Jack and Michelle, she turned and mouthed 'He's handsome!' towards Michelle, who in her turn smiled and nodded agreement.

 **Short chapter, I know…**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello friends. Hope you are doing good…**

 **Seriously starting to regret once telling someone I would become a writer 'but only if all else fails…' Cause it seems like everything just decided to go to shit after that. This last illusion too… FML…**

"So… How long are you staying for?" Michelle asked as she sipped her coffee.

"Well, I was supposed to head back to L.A. tomorrow…" Jack shrugged, "But I've been thinking about calling my boss, to tell her that I'll stay a few more days. I'm on medical leave either way…"

"I'd like that…"

"Me too…" Jack admitted as the waitress came back with the breakfast plates.

"Here you go, two 2x2x2's" Raelynn smiled as she set the plates down. "If there is anything else you should need, just let me know…"

"Thank you…" Jack smiled and picked up his knife and fork, "Looks good!"

"Thank you, Rae…" Michelle grinned just before Raelynn turned to go back to her chores.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Where in L.A. do you live?" Michelle asked after a little while.

"Jefferson Park. I bought a tired, run down house there when I first moved to Los Angeles. Fixed it up little by little. Now it's pretty decent…" Jack explained proudly, "Honestly, I often question why I didn't just buy a small apartment instead. I mean, sure… It's awesome to have a bedroom or two extra when Mac or Riley needs to stay over, but it's just me there usually. And then there's the _'business trips'_ and all that."

"Too much house?"

"Maybe a little too much for just one person…" Jack nodded. "And you, 40 minutes or so away from here?"

Michelle nodded. "Just a little house and a shack to park inside. I never planned on staying…"

"You never planned on staying?"

"That was almost 10 years ago…" Michelle laughed as she finished up the last of her pancakes. "I would live near my hometown for a little while. A year, two tops… Then I would go out and see the world, work all across the US, maybe volunteer for doctors without borders or something… I wasn't going to plant roots at least…"

"Could still happen…" Jack winked, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Nah… A miracle would have to happen first…"

"Could happen…"

"Doubt it…" Michelle sighed, "I would love it, but I doubt it will ever happen…"

Jack nodded.

"And you? You have certainly seen the world…" Michelle said as sha tilted her head. "How is it?"

"Texas is still stuck in my heart…"

"Ever met a Texan who doesn't LOVE Texas?" Michelle chuckled.

Jack shook his head, "Don't think I have…"

"Same…" Michelle grinned, "But how is the rest of the world?"

"Loud. Dirty. Rough. Sometimes scary…" Jack shrugged, "But other parts of the world are beautiful, rich of life… Worth seeing…"

"If you could go back to when you enlisted?"

"I'd do it all again, in a heartbeat." Jack admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck, before he repeated himself. "I'd do it all again…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They stayed at the café for a good while after finishing up their breakfasts. After a couple of refills of coffee, Jack looked up at Michelle. "Maybe we should get going?"

"Are you getting tired?"

Jack shook his head, "No, but if I want to hang around town for a few more days, I better call Matty and have her re-schedule my flight…"

"So you're staying?"

"As long as my boss doesn't go all Matty-the-hun over the request… -Yes." Jack couldn't help but smile when he saw Michelle's face light up.

"Hope she lets you…"

"She will, I'm pretty sure…" Jack smirked, "If not, it wouldn't be the first time I skipped out on an exfil…"

"Huh?"

"Long story, boring actually. Another day?"

"Okay…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The walk back to the motel room went a lot smoother than the trip to the IHOP. They didn't have to stop to let Jack catch his breath, and his leg didn't feel like it was about to fall off. Much thanks to the painkillers which had kicked in a good while ago.

"So… One thing…" Michelle started, obviously nervous.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks and nodded.

"You said you kinda still were a soldier…" she paused for a few seconds, "What does that mean?"

Jack didn't say anything straight away. His eyes fell to the ground, then he shuffled over to the ice chest standing up against the motel wall. He leaned up against it.

"It means…" Jack sighed, "It means… It means I still work for the government. Still get shot at, a lot… Still get ops or missions to go on. I don't have any flags assaulting forward on my arm, I don't get any medals or stuff, cause that shit is just expected of me… But I protect people who need protection…"

"But you're one of the good guys, right?" Michelle asked with a wink, not really doubting what answer she would get.

"Yeah, I am… At least I try to be…"

Michelle nodded. "So the business trips you mentioned…?"

"Missions." Jack admitted.

 **Okay, I better get some sleep… Good night…**


	12. Chapter 12

**Back at it again. BOOM!**

"So… Is your dad stepping in for you at the bar tonight too?" Jack asked quite hopefully as he lifted his leg up on the couch with him.

"No…" Michelle sighed as she leaned on the wall beside the door. "I'm not that lucky…"

"What's your stand on customers who spend all night nursing on one beer and a shitload of coffee?"

"Love them…"

"I'll be by a little later then…" Jack winked, "Just a few things I need to sort out first…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So you're not up for a ride back to California, huh?" Matty asked.

"No, an hour plus in a car to get to the airport and almost three hours in a plane sounds like some form of torture…"

"So it has nothing to do with that lady Mac told me you hung around with?"

Jack hadn't expected that and almost dropped his phone because of the shock. "He told you?!"

"He might have given me a heads up on the matter…" Matty informed.

"How? What?" Jack almost stuttered, "What did he say?"

"Nothing much. Told me you had a woman over late, and that she stayed to the next morning…" Matty revealed.

"He told you?" Jack asked once more, he really couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"Yeah, shouldn't he?"

Jack shrugged to himself. "No problem, but how could he know?"

"It's Mac we're talking about… The guy can figure out just about everything. You really shouldn't be surprised that he figured out that you had a visitor last night…"

"Guess you have a point there…" Jack nodded. "But okay… Do you mind if I stay here for a little while?"

"No, just tell me when you want to get back to the west coast and I'll book the flight. But you will have to fly commercial, okay?"

"Sure…"

"So, when do you want to get back home?"

"I've got a doctor's appointment the 14th… So I've got to be back by then…"

"So the 13th then?"

"Sounds good." Jack nodded, "Hope you're not mad…"

"Mad? Why on earth would I be mad?" Matty chuckled, "Have fun, Jack… See you in a couple of weeks…"

"Thanks Matty…"

"Hey, don't do anything I wouldn't have done, okay?"

Jack harrumphed, "Well, not many restrictions then…"

"Correct!" Matty laughed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The first person Jack met when her stepped outside the motel room door was Mac. The younger agent was about to unlock his own door.

"Hi there…" the blond smirked, turning towards the older one. "Did you have fun last night?"

Jack knew there were no way to wiggle past the question. "Yes."

"Michelle, was it?"

"How'd you…?"

"When she brought you home…"

"But you were asleep!"

"No, I just acted like I was…" Mac grinned, "Is she nice?"

Jack nodded eagerly, "If you tag along you'll get to meet her…"

Mac shrugged, "Now?"

Jack nodded.

"Can I text you later? I need to get ready to leave tomorrow… Matty told me you said you wanted to stick around for a little while…"

"Yeah… You know… Leg's been acting up a lot lately…" Jack shrugged, even though both of them knew that wasn't the main reason.

Mac acted like he couldn't see straight through Jack's little white lie, "Okay, hope it feels better soon… But don't rush yourself…"

Jack nodded, "I'll hear from you later then?"

"Sure thing…"

 **Okay… See y'all later!**


	13. Chapter 13

**This fucking week just keeps getting better… Today I almost felt like the universe had paid for a hit on me, the assumed hitman was a 20 foot ladder. I had about 14-15 feet worth of height BELOW my feet when the sucker decided to slip!**

 **Relax. I'm alive… OBVIOUSLY!  
Got some pretty serious bruising, took X-rays and an Ultrasound scan, no fractures, no internal damage, one sprained ankle… Still no fear of heights, but a strengthened distrust in double ladders (is that the right thing to call it? You know, the ladders where you link one part to another and it gets taller? I just translated it directly from Norwegian. Maybe it has another name in English?) **

**Almost gave my co-worker a heart attack… I'm not gonna lie, I cried! Not because of pain (thanks to adrenalin I didn't feel all the bumps and bruises before an hour or so had passed), but have you ever just dropped more than twice your height? It's a shock!**

 **Yep… FYI, the ladder broke. My arm on the other hand just got a bump and a bruise the size of freaking TEXAS!**

"One beer, please…" Jack grinned as he hobbled over to the counter.

"Coming straight up!" Michelle winked, "Bud or Corona?"

"Corona!" Jack smiled as he lifted himself onto the barstool and placed his left leg on the stool by his side.

Michelle looked him over as she tapped the beer, "So, staying for a little while or not?"

"Staying…" Jack answered as he leaned on the counter, "She even told me to have fun…"

"Well, let's see what we can do about that." Michelle chuckled and blew him a kiss.

"Hey-hey-hey!" Jack held up both hands signing for her to stall a bit, "I'm not up for too much fun, just remember that!"

"Oh, relax…" Michelle grinned, "We don't have to get physical…"

Jack smirked.

"-But we could, if you're up for it…" Michelle added after a little while. Then she hoisted herself up on the counter and pulled Jack in for a kiss.

Jack sure as hell didn't pull back, once he recovered from the initial shock, he leaned into it.

Endorphins rushing through his bloodstream, his pulse picking up and the lust for more blooming inside him.

He couldn't help but feel a little disappointment when she pulled away after a few seconds.

"Thank you…" he whispered, still in awe.

"Just did what I wanted…" Michelle smiled, "Hope you'll be ready for more of that later…"

Jack nodded, licking his lips.

"Good…" Michelle smiled, before they were disturbed by another customer.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple of hours later, Mac strolled into the bar. He had texted with Jack to get to know where to meet the older man.

He looked around the place and found Jack fairly easily. Then he noticed the woman behind the bar who Jack was chatting with. Proving once again that Jack didn't have one type he fell for.

This one looked nothing like Sara or Diane, or any of the other women Mac had been introduced to during his years of knowing Jack.

He headed over, nodding to the bartender and greeting Jack.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked, and Mac recognized the voice instantly.

"Whatever he has, please." Mac answered as he jabbed a thumb towards Jack and his beer.

Michelle nodded, tapping the beer.

"Mac, this is Michelle. Michelle, this is Mac. The guy who fell asleep on my couch…" Jack introduced them to each other.

Michelle chuckled and extended her hand towards Mac right after she had given him his beer. "Nice to meet you. From what I hear, you are quite the guy…"

Mac blushed as he shook Michelle's hand, "Well, I could tell Jack was into you. Now I know why!"

Now it was Michelle's turn to blush and look over at Jack.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple of hours later, Mac had had a few more beers, but Jack had switched over to coffee.

"Michelle, I have to say; this bar looks exactly like bars do in 80's movies. Just, maybe a little upgraded and a lot cleaner…" Mac mused peering out over the crowd.

"Well, it's been around since the 70's, we've tried to keep things in working order… But we've also tried to keep it true to what it was…"

"It works. You feel instantly at home here…" Mac shrugged.

"Mac, that's not because of the bar… That's because of the person behind it…" Jack explained, just like any other time he was 'sharing a little bit of Jack's infinite wisdom'.

Mac shrugged, "I guess you're right."

 **Okay… Between the crappy day/Week I've had and the late hour here, I kinda have to go to bed. And y'all know me, I can't have stuff laying around on my computer… So I'll just post this as it is…**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you all so much for the concern. I'll bounce back, I know I will. Just need some much deserved R &R at the moment… **

Jack sat by the counter, one hand wrapped around the coffee mug, the other kneading his left thigh. Time passed and about an hour ago Mac had figured he needed to get back to the motel room if he wanted to get up in time to drive back to the nearest airport to get picked up by the company jet.

"How're you holding up?" Michelle asked as she got back from serving some guy a large plate of nachos. "You look a little beat…"

"I'm good, just my thigh cramping a little." Jack pulled a slight grimace, "I'm kinda surprised it manages to cramp up, I mean… Sure doesn't look like there are any muscles left there to cramp up…"

Michelle chuckled at Jack's innocent and slightly confused expression.

"Sure you don't want to sit at one of the booths instead?"

Jack nodded, "No problem sitting here…"

"Okay. But don't blame me if your leg gets worse…" Michelle shrugged as she poured herself another coffee.

"I would never…"

"I didn't really think you would…" Michelle chuckled, "But I think it would be better for you and your leg to sit on one of the couches instead…"

"That might be, but it's much more fun to sit here…" Jack shrugged back.

"I could sit down with you, you know… Sometimes I almost believe I'm just here for show…" Michelle said as she rolled her eyes dramatically. "You saw that these folks are completely able to serve themselves… I don't necessarily like that, but it's practical sometimes… I could join you at the booth…"

Jack looked over to the closest booth, it was a tempting offer. He had to admit to such, but then again…

"Nah… It can wait. Besides, from here I get to see the whole place at once…" All his years as both a soldier and an agent had left him with the preference for a good vantage point and his back to the wall. Where he could see everyone and no one could sneak up from behind.

"There's really not so much to look at here…" Michelle sighed, "Just a bunch of drunk lonely dudes, talking about their glory days. For most of these guys that was more than 15 years ago… For some it's even 50 years ago…"

Jack smirked, he had already scanned the patrons and placed them with their own stereotypes. Stereotypes are for a reason, no matter how cruel or judging that might sound. He had found the loud ex-jocks, the ones who wished they were still out there playing football or whatever game they had been good at. He had found the unsuccessful ladies men, the ones who always tried to get some poor woman to bed, but never lucked out because they sounded too sleazy. He had spotted a few guys he had pegged as ex-military, a quiet bunch of a few good ol' boys tucked away in a corner. They still had a standard haircut and sat in a semi-circle with their backs towards the corner behind them. Much like Jack did himself. And then there were the plain drunkards…

"Still fascinating to look at, but to be honest, you are who I look at the most…" Jack smirked.

"Well, you could still look at me from the booth…" Michelle said, tilting her head towards the booth.

"But here I can sit and talk to you all night, without really getting in the way of your work…" Jack debated, before he winked and added "And I can reach the coffee pot myself…"

He chose to look past the fact that his leg had started to throb rhythmically and that his ass had fallen asleep half an hour ago. Michelle didn't need to know that.

"You're stubborn, aren't you?"

"Was born that way, can't help it…" Jack flashed a bright grin, and Michelle blushed. "…What?"

"You're just so…" Michelle had to take a couple of seconds to compose herself, "You're just so damn cute…"

"You think I'm cute?" Jack asked, wagging his eyebrows flirtingly.

"Stop it!" Michelle giggled and was forced to look away. She covered her face with her right hand as she leaned on the counter with her left. "Stop it… I can't…"

She let out a little laugh, before she steeled herself to look at Jack once again. It failed, and she had to look over towards the neon-sign in the back advertising Coors light.

"I can't handle you… You're just… You're just too…" She had to pause to search for her words, "Too perfect. Okay? And I can't function when you turn that up to eleven, okay?"

"Okay? –I'll stop…?" Jack offered.

"But I don't want you to stop either…" Michelle mused as she scrounged up her nose. She chuckled nervously, "Just try not to put me out of commission with that smile, at least not when I'm behind this bar…"

"Okay, I'll try to behave…" Jack answered with a wink.

Michelle blushed and shook her head, "You're not even trying, are you?"

"Nope…" Jack answered honestly and lifted his coffee to his lips. "I'm not…"

Michelle shook her head as she chuckled to herself, then she leaned over the counter and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Well, guess I'm in for a lot of trouble then…" she sighed, flashing a heart stopping smile of her own, causing Jack to almost choke on his coffee.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, Mich…" old Bobby Roland spoke up and waved her over to the regular table as she finished up cleaning one of the tables close to the corner.

"Who's that new guy?"

"A friend…" Michelle blushed.

"Looks like more than a friend…" Connor who sat beside Bobby said, jabbing his elbow at Bobby.

Michelle nodded.

"Isn't he a little old for ya, kid?" Bobby asked, mild concern in his voice.

"No. He isn't…" Michelle laughed, she knew that Bobby and the other guys at that particular table only had her best intentions in mind. "He's older than me, sure… But not too old…"

Bobby nodded.

"He military?" John asked, angling his head to get a better look at Jack.

"Yes." Michelle nodded.

"Why don't you invite him over here?" Bobby asked, moving his hand in a 'come here' motion.

"I don't know…" Michelle shrugged, "His leg is really bothering him, I don't think he'd like to move around too much…"

"His leg?" Connor asked, hoping for an explanation.

"He broke it a couple of weeks ago, I guess it is still really painful."

"A couple of weeks ago, shouldn't it be almost pain-free by now?" Jared asked, before he quickly was silenced by Connor's elbow connecting with his ribs.

"That all depends on what, where, which and how!" Connor whispered menacingly, "Hank broke his leg 20 years ago, still sports a limp!"

Hank, who sat on the right-hand end of the semi-circle nodded, "Yeah, still do…"

"Okay, okay…" Jared nodded, holding up his hands in surrender, "Didn't think that one through…"

"But Mich…" Bobby started, crossing his arms over his chest, "Why don't you tell him that there's a seat free for him at our table next time he's up and about already…? Like, if he already needs to take a piss, our table is closer to the restroom than the counter."

Michelle shook her head, "Okay, I'll tell him. But you guys play nice to him. I like this one…"

"Yes ma'am!" all of them answered in unison.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"What'd they say?" Jack asked once Michelle made it back to the counter. He had seen her talking to the bunch he had figured had to be old military men, and had seen them all looking at him and gesturing towards him.

"Oh, they just wondered who you were. And told me to tell you that you could sit with them if you'd like…" Michelle smiled, "I think you'd all have a lot to talk about…"

"Yeah, I bet…" Jack chuckled, "Maybe I will…"

Then he went to move, but his action was cut short by another grimace. "-Maybe a bit later…"

Michelle winced in sympathy before she nodded, "I think the offer stands for whenever you're already on the move…"

Jack nodded as he fought to control his facial expression. "Good."

 **Okay, hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter either.**

 **I can imagine that being flirted with by Jack leaves you in a pretty much useless state. I sure as hell wouldn't function. –At all.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello lovelies!**

After he zipped up and washed his hands, he hobbled outside to the bar again. He scanned the room, again, and decided to hop over to the table he had been invited to.

"Hey fellas…" Jack nodded as he came closer. He was relieved to see that they had already set out not one, but two chairs for him.

"Hey son…" the oldest looking dude nodded, "Sit down, kick your leg up…"

The 70-something year old man with a trucker cap didn't have to ask him twice, his leg was not agreeing with him. –At all…

"Thank you…" Jack smiled as he lowered himself onto the seat. He couldn't stop the slight groan that left him as he went down the last couple of inches.

"What'd you do to that leg, boy?" the one closest to Jack asked. He was most likely the second youngest of the group. Just about Jack's own age.

"-Broke it. Took a bad landing." Jack explained as he helped his left leg up onto the chair in front of him.

"What's your name, kid?" the oldest one asked.

Jack let out a light laugh. He was 50, being called 'kid' wasn't usual for him. But he would take it from a man who looked like he was maybe 75 years old, and who looked like he had been around the world a couple of times on his own.

"Jack. Jack Dalton…"

"Jack Dalton?" The man repeated. "I knew a guy once, Air Force pilot. Never really had the patience to sit still for long, but hell of a pilot. Could fly a C-130 like it was a freaking trick plane."

Jack couldn't help but break into a giant grin. "Only person that could be is my dad…"

"Scared me halfway to death at least once or twice, but saved my life a shitload of times…" the man with the trucker cap nodded with a stiff expression. "I heard he passed a few years ago… The world lost a great man that day…"

Jack had to bite down on his cheek to avoid tearing up. "Yeah… He was one to remember…"

"-And a little bit crazy…" The trucker cap added. "But that's just what you need sometimes… Hell of a man… -I'm Robert Roland, everyone calls me Bobby."

"Nice to meet you Bobby!" Jack smiled.

"This here is Hank, the man to my left is Connor. Then we've got the three youngest ones, Jared, Jason and Luke." Bobby ratted off, gesturing to each of the other men in turn, "As you might have guessed, Connor and Luke here are brothers. Just, is it eleven years between the two of you?"

Both Connor and Luke nodded.

Jack nodded, he could see the resemblance. Connor looked like an older, more weathered version of Luke. Same strong jaw, same chiseled features, just more worn and maybe a little more tired.

"So, son…" Bobby asked, leaning his elbows on the table. "Did you follow in your daddy's footsteps? Did you go into the air force?"

Jack shook his head, "Not exactly. -I joined the army…"

"The army?" Hank on the opposite end repeated, "Bobby, I approve of this kid."

"Kid?" Jack chuckled, "Nobody has called me that in a couple of decades…"

"Just get used to it…" Luke sighed, "As long as you don't surpass these old geezers in age, you will be called kid, kiddo, son or boy…"

"Relax little brother…" Connor grinned, "Maybe we'll stop calling you kiddo when you turn 55…"

"Well, I'll believe that when it happens… Not a second before…"

Connor winked at his little brother, the youngest of the two looked to be about Jack's age, give or take a few.

"Well, we're an odd bunch here…" Connor chuckled as he looked at Jack, "We've Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy."

"And we never agree who's the best…" Luke chuckled, "Some of these guys don't get that it obviously is the army which is the best…"

Jack smiled, Hank nodded, while the rest of the gang shook their heads.

"No… The air force is the best…" Bobby grinned.

"Us marines would easily mow both of you off the map, completely…" Jared interrupted as Connor nodded along to his statement.

"No, Navy would win. Easily…" Jason shook his head, dismissing the other guys' opinions.

"Agree to disagree?" Bobby finally offered. The rest of the guys, Jack included, nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A few hours later, Jack had really melted seamlessly into the group. It was like he belonged there, like they were all old buddies.

He was really surprised when Michelle finally came over and reminded the men that she was about to close up the place.

"Already?" Jack asked, looking up at her.

"Sun's about to rise…" Michelle laughed, "I figure you seven hit it off…"

"Yeah, we did…" Bobby nodded approvingly. "Jack seems like a good kid."

"Good to hear y'all are getting along nicely." Michelle giggled, "Jack, I've just got to clean up. Okay?"

Jack nodded, and leaned his head back to look up at her. Before she headed back to the counter to wash over it, she placed a quick pec on his forehead. Jack managed to wrap an arm around the back of her neck, trapping her just long enough to place a kiss of his own on her lips.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Alright, Jack… Hope we'll see you again soon!" Hank nodded as he got up and prepared to limp away. "You always have a spot here with us, you know…"

"Thanks man…" Jack smiled.

 **Okay, so… I know this chapter might seem a little dry and boring. –Sorry for that.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey again. Hope you're having a great day!**

Michelle only needed to take one look at Jack when they made it back to her place to know that sitting by the bar most of the evening hadn't done his leg any favors.

They had agreed on heading over to her place early on. She needed to grab a new set of clothes and that way she could make them both breakfast when they got up in the morning, or afternoon.

His shoulders were tense as steel, his knuckles were white where he gripped the crutches. Exhaustion was carved deep on his face. He looked like he was dead on his feet, foot.

"How are you doing, honey?" Michelle asked as she hung her keys on the knob she usually had them.

"Yeah. Fine." Jack gritted out through clenched teeth.

Michelle winced at the strain she detected in Jack's voice. Detect wasn't really the word to use, there was no 'detecting'. It was loud and clear, and you would have to be deaf to miss it.

"My room is up the stairs and to the left, bath is on the right hand side…" Michelle murmured, something in Jack's voice told her that he wasn't up for talk about whether his leg hurt or not. It obviously did anyway.

"Thanks." Jack bit out as he started climbing up the stairs.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack could hear how he sounded. He hated that he sounded like a grumpy, sleep deprived teenager, with low blood-sugar. But his leg hurt so damn much, he couldn't help it.

He stepped into the bathroom, and went through his nightly routine. As the last step of the routine, he fished up a travel toothbrush and toothpaste from his right hand pocket.

After he was done, he hobbled over to the room Michelle had said was the bedroom.

The room was a calm blue-gray shade, a queen size bed occupied some of the space along the opposite wall. The white covers and the pillows looked incredibly comfortable.

He didn't waste no time making his way over to the bed. There was no way he would be in a vertical position a second longer than strictly necessary.

He tore off his t-shirt and unbuttoned his jeans. He shimmied the jeans down to his knees, lifted the covers away and sat down on the edge of the bed. Then he freed his legs from the denim fabric, and propped his legs up on the bed.

He let his back fall against the bed, and tried to relax.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A few minutes later Michelle came up. She had three couch cushions with her, which she placed on the end of the bed.

She grabbed a hold of one of the pillows, then she pointed to Jack's cast. "You want that up?"

"Yes, please…" he whispered with relief.

"One, two or three cushions?"

"Two…" Jack shrugged, "-or three…"

Michelle nodded, "Try with two first?"

Jack nodded.

"May I?" Michelle asked, her hand hovering right beside the lowest part of Jack's casted calf.

He nodded and steeled himself for the inevitable pain he would experience.

Michelle lifted his leg as carefully as she could, after placing the two first cushions she gently lowered the leg onto the cushions, but she didn't let go of it.

"Do you want one more?"

Jack shook his head, "No, thanks… That's perfect…"

Michelle nodded and released her hold on the fiberglass cast.

"Better?"

Jack nodded, and spread his right arm out, making good room for Michelle to crawl in close on his good side.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Should've listened to you…" he murmured after Michelle had crept into bed and placed her head on his chest.

"Hmmmmh?"

"I should have listened to you…" he sighed, "You told me I should find a better place to sit earlier. I was stubborn. And my leg feels like it's trying to tear itself apart…"

Michelle pulled herself closer to Jack's chest, her fingers automatically finding the scar and the calloused ribs on his left side.

"Hopefully it'll be better by tomorrow…" Michelle whispered as she lead her hand up to Jack's shoulder.

"Prob'ly will be…" Jack grunted, "Having it elevated helps a lot…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle woke up early the next day. Well, early for someone working nights.

She was still wrapped around Jack, still with her head nestled against his shoulder.

She was amazed that she hadn't felt too sweaty or clammy during the hours they had been asleep. Usually when you sleep wrapped around another person, you wake up in sweat and regrets, especially in the warmth of Texas. But it felt completely okay, not uncomfortable at all. The covers were kicked down below their feet, and Michelle had the chance to study Jack, his scars and his muscles.

The scar from when he had been hit by a jaw was fascinating to look at. The biggest one was a soft crater, the slightly smaller one below it had grown outward, a hard keloid. The rest of the smaller ones were just slight indentations lacking pigmentation compared to the rest of Jack's stomach.

She let her eyes wander until they connected with a pink and angry scar on the outer side of his thigh. It was roughly the size of a quarter, and still looked like it was healing. She spent a couple seconds staring at it, before she let her eyes travel further.

At his left knee, there was a crisp white line curving around the inside of his kneecap. The stitches were neat and even, a contrast to many of the other stitch-jobs she had discovered already. The scar probably came from an old surgery, one which had been planned and not forced.

She relaxed back against Jack's chest, and listened to the soft snores coming off of him every now and then. It wasn't constant, just every fifth or sixth breath.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A good while later, Jack started waking up.

"Good morning…" she whispered when she saw him opening his eyes. Then she giggled when she saw the sleepy expression Jack looked at her with. "You awake?"

"Nope…" Jack winced, "What time is it?"

"A little past noon…" Michelle shrugged.

"Okay…" Jack nodded sleepily. Tilting his head towards Michelle, before he groggily whispered. "Good morning, beautiful…"

"Good morning handsome…" Michelle grinned back. "How's the leg?"

Jack looked towards his foot and wiggled his toes a bit. He didn't manage to hide the discomfort spreading over his face. "Better…"

"Still a bit of room for improvement?"

Jack let out an exasperated sigh, "Yeah… Still room for improvement…"

"Did you bring some painkillers with you?"

Jack nodded, "Got a container in my jeans…"

"Want me to get you a bottle of water?" Michelle asked. Her hand rubbing circles over his chest.

"It's not necessary yet…" Jack shrugged.

"No, but if you take your medicine now, you will be ready to go downstairs faster and we can have breakfast sooner…" Michelle said as she nudged Jack.

"Already?"

"I'm starting to get hungry… I woke up almost an hour ago…" Michelle said as she propped herself up on one elbow.

"Okay, we should do something about that then…" Jack figured as he rubbed a rough hand over his face. "No fun in staying hungry…"

Michelle smiled, "So… Should I get you some water?"

"You coming back to bed afterwards?"

Michelle nodded. Jack smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As soon as Michelle left the room, Jack sat up straight and studied his cast. Then he tried to wiggle his toes again, frowning as it put some kind of strain near the injury itself.

"Seriously…" he muttered to himself, "Why don't you feel any better you piece of crap…?"

He reached forward with his hand, closing it around the cast just where he knew the break had been. Then he looked at his other leg, bending and stretching his right ankle.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he asked, staring at the cast. He knew the easy answer, of course he knew that his leg had been fractured, and that it wasn't completely healed yet. But shouldn't it have calmed down by now? Stopped hurting as much?

He let his hand glide up to his knee. Then he rubbed and kneaded the area, easing the tension that had built up over the last couple of hours.

He stopped and laid back as soon as he heard Michelle coming back up the stairs. He leaned over on his side and managed to get a hold of his jeans. Quickly he fished out the orange container from one of his pockets and twisted the cap off. He poured out one pill onto his hand and placed the cap back on.

"Here you go…" Michelle smiled as she handed Jack the bottle, just before she climbed into the bed again.

"Thank you…" Jack smiled as he popped the pill into his mouth.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple of hours later, they were laying on the couch together. Michelle sat closest to the armrest, one leg near the back of the couch, one on the floor. Jack was resting against her. She had her hands draped over his chest, gently playing with his t-shirt. He had one hand hanging across her forearm, and the other resting on her bent knee beside him.

"You know what?" Jack asked rubbing his thumb over her arm.

She shook her head.

"I could stay like this forever…" Jack admitted, grinning as he felt Michelle nod behind him.

 **Well, another chapter down.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thought: Maybe I should change the name of this to 'Michelle'? I mean, my title game was weak AF with this one. But in my defense, I really had no plan when I started this. I seldom do…  
-And here we are at chapter 17…  
(Also, hey… Me, writing romance! What the F happened?)**

"Well, Mr. Dalton. I can't see any other reason for your leg to keep bothering you, other than that bolt right here." The doctor said as he pointed to the X-rays he had up on the screen. "The scar tissue growing around it can be the problem, or it could be pressing or poking a nerve next to it. The swelling probably doesn't help either."

Jack nodded as he looked down at his leg, the doctor had removed the cast to take the pictures. Muscle atrophy had set in, and his left leg looked completely pathetic. But the feeling of fresh air against his skin was good.

"Did your doctor back home say anything about whether you would get the bolts removed once you healed or not?"

"Think he said they could just stay in, if they didn't cause any problems." Jack shrugged, "And that they could be taken out already after six weeks if they proved to be bothersome…"

The doctor nodded, "And how long has it been now?"

"Almost four weeks, I think…"

The doctor nodded, studying the X-rays in silence for a couple of seconds. "Well, you will have to keep them for a little while longer then… But it looks to me that the fractures are healing nicely."

"That's comforting…" Jack relaxed, he had been seriously worried about whether his leg was healing correctly or not. "So, it's probably just pain then… Nothing else to worry about?"

"Nothing I can spot on these pictures. Sadly I can't do anything about that bolt yet, that will just have to stay in for now. It might get better when your leg is no longer so swollen, but since it's already been about four weeks the swelling might be caused by the constant irritation." The doctor informed, "If the pain continues, I would advise you to ask your doctor to have that bolt removed."

Jack nodded. "But the bone itself looks good?"

"Apart from all the hardware you've collected? And the old callouses where fractures already have healed?"

Jack nodded.

"Yes, it looks good." The doctor nodded and turned towards Jack again. "Both the bone and the scar from the surgery. Looks exactly like it should at this point."

"That's good…" Jack sighed, his shoulders relaxing as he felt more reassured. "I've been a bit worried, you know…"

"I can understand that. I can see you have a lot of experience with fractures, it's normal to get a bit anxious when it doesn't act like you would expect it to" the doctor said as he started getting materials he needed out of the cabinets. "You want color on your cast?"

"Nah… Just keep it simple…" Jack chuckled. "Just white, or black if you have that. –No, wait… White."

The doctor looked over at Jack, "I have black too…"

"Changed my mind, don't need to choose a color which will make the cast even warmer…" Jack shrugged.

"Good choice…" the doctor chuckled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack left the doctor's office half an hour later with a brand new cast and slightly less stuff to worry about constantly on his mind.

 **Alright, HAVE A NICE ONE!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, I know some of you might have wanted me to continue on in the same fashion. You know… Using multiple chapters for each day and really drag this out, but I have this scene in mind and if I don't hurry the F*** up with this story, it won't happen for like 15 more chapters. But if I speed this thing up, it can happen in like 3-4 chapters or so…**

ALMOST TWO WEEKS LATER

"So, last full day in town…" Michelle sighed, her voice made it clear how she felt about it.

Jack nodded as he poked his eggs with the fork. He had been dreading this day ever since the first night Michelle had slept in his motel room. But tomorrow he would have to drive to Houston to catch a flight back to Los Angeles.

"I managed to get my dad to step in for me tonight too…" Michelle said as she looked up at Jack, just in time to see a small smile tug at his lips. "Maybe we should do something? Or we could just stay here and relax…"

"Maybe we could go out to eat?" Jack offered, "A place where a button-down and blue jeans works just fine, cause that's pretty much the most fancy clothes I have with me, except for my service uniform… And that might be a bit overkill anyway…"

Michelle nodded, "-but I bet you look hot in it…"

"Maybe you could be the judge of that another time?" Jack tried to smile. "As sure as you want me to come back…"

"Want you to come back?" Michelle raised her eyebrows, "I'm bummed out because you have to leave!"

"I'm bummed out about that too…" Jack agreed as he put down his fork, his appetite was a bit dulled by the fact that these last perfect weeks were about to come to an end.

They both sat there poking at the breakfast Michelle had made. Neither of them really felt like eating at the moment.

"Hey, Michelle…" Jack said, waiting for Michelle to look up at him. "What do you say we try to forget that I have to leave tomorrow. I mean, we… I think we would both feel better about that…"

Michelle nodded a little, "Could we also agree that this isn't forever?"

"Hmmm?"

"That us saying goodbye tomorrow. –It won't be forever…"

Jack nodded, "Hey, I might only have known you for a couple of weeks, but the world would have to work a whole lot harder to keep me away from you."

Michelle grinned, and leaned over the table kiss Jack. "I'll keep you to those words!"

"I hope you will!" Jack smiled back.

After sitting in silence and poking away at their breakfast for a good while, they both managed to finish up their breakfast.

"I'll do the dishes…" Jack decided as he got up from his chair.

"You don't have to…"

"You've already made breakfast, I kinda have to pull my weight here too you know…" Jack winked, "At least now that I can…"

Michelle grinned and stood up herself. "Hey… I love you."

Those three little words hit him like a truck. He wasn't prepared, not to hear them at least. He had been thinking about saying that exact same thing to her, just hadn't found the right time and place to say it for the first time. And then she just goes ahead and aces it so effortlessly.

Jack was left swaying next to his chair, he struggled to get his tongue to cooperate. Finally he managed to stutter out a shaky and nervous "You too…"

A couple seconds later, both of them were still grinning like fools.

"I love you." Jack almost whispered before he pulled Michelle close for a kiss.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Do you even know how good you look?" Jack asked a quarter past seven. They had both just dressed up for going to the little Italian family owned restaurant in the neighbor town.

"I look good?" Michelle asked with a sultry wink, causing Jack's heart to gallop. She already knew her outfit looked like it was made especially for her.

Giving himself a second to just stare at the roof, he nodded. Then he looked back at her, "You look incredible…"

She was in a fire-red dress. Tight fitting, hugging her in just the right way. She had tan, high heeled sandals on her feet, and her nails were painted in the same color as her dress.

"We won't be staying out too late, I hope…" Jack breathed, his eyes locked on her hips. _Because, as good as that dress looks on… It would look a 100 times better on the floor._

"Is it your leg again?" she asked with a worried glace down at where his jeans stretched tight over the cast.

"No… -No, nothing I can't handle…" Jack reassured.

"-Without being all messed up tomorrow?"

Jack nodded, even though he knew he very well could end up with paying for whatever he decided to do tonight, tomorrow.

"…Just can't wait to see that dress on the floor at the end of the evening." Jack admitted with a smile.

Michelle blushed and walked over to Jack, before she whispered "Well accompanied by that shirt and those jeans I hope…"

Jack nodded, leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So…" Michelle inquired, "What don't I know about you yet…?"

Jack shrugged, "A whole lot… But that's be-"

"No, silly! I don't mean the work stuff, I know you can't tell me about that. I mean you! What don't I know about you as a person yet? About you family, friends… Cats or dogs? Weekend in the woods or in the city…?"

Jack smiled as he looked down at the tablecloth. "Okay… You already know I'm from a big family…"

Michelle nodded.

"Mostly sisters. You have your dad's name. –And your momma's eyes, from what I could tell by that picture!"

"But I don't have my mom's eyes…" Jack countered with a puzzled look on his face.

"When you smile, yours look just like hers…" Michelle said as she stared at his eyes, waiting for one of those smiles. She didn't have to wait long.

"You think?" Jack asked. The smile on his lips were reaching his eyes, making them crinkle just like how Michelle had meant.

"Yes…" Michelle grinned. She couldn't see how she could possibly fall more in love with the man on the other side of her table, but that smile left her feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Well, I've already met your mom and pop, and your older brother –Mark…" Jack smiled, "But you had a kid brother too?"

Michelle nodded, "Danny. He's studying to be a lawyer, he's in Chicago."

"Danny! That was it!" Jack nodded, remembering the name again.

Michelle nodded, "Bet you'd like him too…"

"If the rest of the family is an indicator, yes." Jack chuckled. He could already tell he liked the rest of her family, and as far as he knew, he had been accepted by them.

Michelle smiled and took a sip of her wine. They had arranged for a friend of hers to come pick them up later, that way they wouldn't have to worry about anything.

Jack took a sip of his own, before he put the glass down and looked straight at her. "Cats or dogs?"

"I like both…" Michelle started, "But if I had to choose one over the other, it would have to be dogs."

Jack's grin widened, "Yes!"

"So you're a dog person?" Michelle assumed.

"Yeah, I am." Jack nodded, "I've got nothing against cats, but who can resist all the energy and the loyalty of a dog? Cats are okay, but they don't come running, wagging every part of their body, bouncing of joy because you're home from work. No, but they might look up, stretch and head for the fridge in hope of getting a snack from you."

Michelle chuckled, "I guess you had both growing up…"

Jack nodded, "We lived at a farm, it was only natural to have both…"

"We also had both, I miss having a dog of my own."

"Two dog people, what could go wrong?" Jack smirked.

"Are we able to go two for two? Where would you rather spend your weekend, woods or city?" Michelle asked leaning on the table with her elbows.

"I would have to say woods. –As long as I'm not dropped out there from a plane without proper gear or any food for the trip…"

"I take it that has happened…"

Jack nodded with a stern expression. "Yeah… And more than once…"

"Well, at least you had your parachute…"

"Had a few times where HALO almost became HANO…" Jack frowned, "But I managed to pull the second chute every time that happened. A couple of those landings were a little harder than necessary."

"HANO?"

"Instead of High Altitude - Low Opening, try High Altitude - No Opening…"

Michelle's eyes widened in shock. "Shit, that sounds bad!"

"Well, you certainly feel very alive until that second parachute yanks a hold of you…"

"I would believe that…" Michelle gasped, "I thought parachutes were relatively safe, but that has happened more than once to you?"

Jack nodded, "More like 9 or 10 times. Lost count somewhere around the 4th time… But then again, I've jumped more times than most too…"

Michelle nodded, "You're not getting me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anytime soon."

"Didn't plan on it…" Jack chuckled, "Unless you wanted to…"

"Nah… I'm good…"

"And you? Woods or city?"

"Woods. Of course as every other girl I like to go shopping once in a while, but give me a tent, a bonfire and a billion stars to look at any day…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle studied Jack as they ate. The dark shirt suited him well, if she didn't know better she would have thought it was tailored for him.

Her eyes fell on his right wrist, and the black leather cuff he wore there. It hadn't left his wrist ever since she met him. Maybe there was a reason for it? Maybe one she would learn of later?

Then she studied his hands for a little while. All of his knuckles had scars, they all seemed slightly flatter than the knuckles of a usual hand. She wondered if he had literally punched them flat, if that was a thing or not.

She looked up at his face again. She could look at that face forever. Forever.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack looked up just in time to see Michelle look back down at her plate.

Her long brown curls were dancing down her shoulders. Framing her face like it was a masterpiece, it might as well have been. She was stunning. Beautiful.

 _How the hell had she agreed to even talk to him? Let alone go out on a real date two weeks later?_

 **Okay… Yeah… 2 chapters within 24 hours…**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, next chapter! This might border on NSFW… Just saying…**

Jack unbuttoned his shirt as fast as his hands would allow him. His crutches were carelessly thrown aside, they were the last thing on his mind right now. He shrugged off his shirt, then he flopped down on the bed. He managed to stifle the pained gasp which almost left his lips as the fire near his ankle intensified. He didn't have time for that.

Lying there, he marveled at her good looks as Michelle pulled off her dress, before tossing it in a heap at the floor. Jack was right, it looked even better like that.

She climbed in after him, her hands deftly unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans.

"You want this?" she whispered as she started tugging the fabric downward.

He nodded, the words caught in his throat.

She smiled.

"And you?" he finally managed to ask, "You okay with this?"

She let go of his jeans and leaned forward to kiss him, "Yes."

Then she went back to helping him remove his jeans and underwear.

Jack propped himself up on his elbows, watching her as she worked the fabric off of his legs. His eyes lingered at her breasts, where a black lace bra covered her. Soon her matching cheekies were quickly on their way to the floor.

She climbed back into bed, Jack made short work of the clasp on her bra.

"Well, aren't you good with your hands, soldier?" she teased, leaning in for a hot kiss.

Jack grinned as their lips met, he could feel Michelle doing the same thing. Her right hand pressed against his left shoulder, her left was moving up and down the length of his side. He had his resting at her waist, pulling her down towards him.

"Just the start, babe…" Jack winked, "Just the start…"

Jack opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom. He tore away the wrapper and started to put it on as Michelle was stealing his attention by kissing his right thigh.

As soon as the rubber was on, Michelle straddled his hips, he placed his hands on hers.

She leaned down kissing Jack's right shoulder, tracing the scar with her lips.

He let his right hand travel up to pull her face up to his.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was only a couple of seconds into the real 'act' when Jack realized that it wouldn't happen. Not tonight at least, not before his leg stopped acting like a bitch. The thrusts sent shocks up his leg. He knew the leg was as good as healed, and that the pain wasn't dangerous. –But it really hurt. He couldn't wait to have that agonizing screw, or bolt, or whatever, removed.

"He-, hey honey…" he whispered, trying his best to conceal his discomfort.

Michelle stopped what she was doing and looked down at Jack, "Yeah?"

She understood the problem as soon as she took in his expression. "Gosh, you're hurting… Aren't you?"

Jack nodded stiffly, his jaw set hard against the pain from his leg.

Michelle carefully climbed off him, "Are you alright?"

Jack sighed, trying push the pain to the back of his mind. "Yeah. Will be."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry 'bout it…" Jack sighed. He had been looking forward to this. "I'm sorry too…"

"Raincheck?"

"Yes please…" Jack tried to smile, it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Man, I hate that leg right now…"

Michelle chuckled, "I get that… Do you need anything for it?"

Jack shook his head, "No, I've been drinking… I shouldn't."

"Yeah, that's right…" Michelle frowned, looking at Jack as he tried push past the pain.

"How about we just cuddle instead?" Jack offered, trying to wrap his arm around Michelle's shoulders. "We already know that doesn't need to hurt…"

Michelle nodded as she pressed herself up against his upper body, draping her right leg over his. She kissed his shoulder again, before she let her hand start toying with his chest.

"-I love you…" he whispered after a couple of seconds. He let out a short nervous laugh, "I can't believe how much I love you…"

"Then promise to come back to me…"

"I will…" Jack nodded, craning his neck to kiss her. "Trust me…"

"I do…" Michelle smiled, stretching give him a quick kiss of her own. "I do."

And Jack couldn't help but hope that one day she would say those exact words to him as they stood up at the altar.

 **Okay.**

 **Hope you all made it past that in one piece, more or less…**

 **-I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. (Mostly embarrassed to post it I guess…)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, so I've been struggling a bit with this chapter. I had no idea of how to write it. I've never been good at goodbyes.**

Jack had his leg up on the seat beside him. His head was leaned up against the window of the Greyhound bus headed for Houston. The vibrations from the road transferred to the windows and to his forehead.

He had kissed Michelle goodbye 20 minutes ago, as she dropped him off at the bus station. She had offered to drive him all the way to Houston, but they had finally decided it would be easier for both of them to do it like this.

"Hey man, are you alright?" an old guy who had taken the seat on the opposite side of the isle from him asked after a while.

Jack looked up, he knew his face was revealing all of his emotions.

"Yeah…" he sighed, "Just had to leave my girl…"

The old man nodded, "Yeaaaahh… I've done that couple times… But you're not shippin' out son… Not with that cast. –Trouble in paradise?"

"No." Jack sighed, "Everything is perfect."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"I've got stuff to do back in L.A." Jack frowned, "And I probably won't be able to make it back here in a long while… Feels kinda like shipping out."

"-But at least you won't be shot at…" the old man with the veteran's cap reasoned.

Jack chuckled grimly, he knew better. But he probably wouldn't be shot at for the next couple of weeks. But after that there were no promises. "Yeah, at least that won't happen."

There was a pause which lasted for about four seconds before the old man asked, "So, what is pulling you towards L.A.?"

"Got a doctors appointment." Jack shrugged, "And I'll soon be back to work too. That's also in L.A."

"Doctors appointment, for your leg right?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah…"

"Soon healed?"

"Hope so… Looked good at the last check-up…" Jack shrugged. "The biggest screw is irritating something, so it doesn't feel like it's healing right. But doc said that would probably go away once I have that removed…"

"Much pain?"

"A bit…" Jack shrugged, he didn't want to admit that the pain sometimes was bad enough to pull him completely out of commission. Or keep him up at night.

The old man nodded. "And the work, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh… Uhm… I… -I work for a think tank…"

"A think tank?"

Jack nodded, "Yes…"

"Well, what do you do there?"

"Well, I'm hired as a link to the military." Jack shrugged. "You know, someone needs to be the middleman between those geeks and us regular folks."

"You used to be a soldier?" the man lit up.

Jack nodded. "Enlisted once I left high school. Spent about a lifetime doing tours all over the place."

The old veteran nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So, where's prince charming?" Sam Verner asked as he climbed up on the second barstool in line.

"He had to go back to California…" Michelle sighed, "He left earlier today…"

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that…" Sam said as he pulled up his wallet, placing a bill on the counter. "Hand me some shine, will ya?"

Michelle nodded and placed a jar of moonshine and a glass on the counter. "Night off?"

Sam nodded. "Taylor is working tonight."

"Tay is working tonight? I really didn't think he worked nights anymore…"

"Well, I told him Jeff still struggles with that back of his. He won't be out to cause any trouble."

Michelle let out a flat laugh, any other day it might have been a real one. "Yeah, Tay has been afraid of Jeff for a good while now…"

"Guess he should have known better than to date Jeff's sister."

Michelle nodded.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Michelle answered, but even she could hear how fake it sounded.

"Mich…"

"Okay, no…" she admitted. Her voice was on the verge of cracking. "I miss him…"

Sam grimaced as he took a sip of the moonshine. "Well, trust me. That guy, he will come back for you. You don't have to doubt that."

Michelle shook her head, "I'm not too worried about that… I just miss him… A lot."

Sam nodded, then he took another sip of the shine.

"I bet he misses you just as much, if not more…" Sam shrugged, "He'd be a fool not to…"

Michelle wiped at her eyes, drying away the tears that had formed there.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As he sat at the airport Jack pulled out his wallet from his duffle bag. He fished out a folded 4x6 photo.

It was of him and Michelle, together. It was Lorraine, her mother, who had captured the moment. It had been Rory's 71st birthday. The family, minus Danny her younger brother, had been gathered at the bar for a little bit of celebration.

The picture showed Jack and Michelle in one of the booths together. Jack sat sideways, his legs were resting over Michelle's lap. His left elbow was leaning on the table for support, her right hand was lightly resting on top of Jack's cast. His right hand and her left were on his lap. Their pinkies locked around each other, like they were making a pinky promise.

He could actually see just how happy he was in that picture. Pure, honest happiness. All his worries, all his nightmares, -erased. The look on his face would tell everybody who saw it that _that girl_ , she was his whole world.

And Michelle, Michelle looked as beautiful as ever in it. Her thick brown curls were bouncing off her shoulders. Her smile was giving the sun a run for its money. Her green eyes and freckles were just mesmerizing. She was the definition of perfect.

Looking at the picture, he could hear her laughter. It gave him that warm, bubbly feeling in his chest.

He felt around inside his duffle, and fished out his phone too. Then he started typing.

 _'Hey… Just lettin' ya  
know I miss ya and I  
love ya!'_

He stared at the text for a couple of seconds before he pressed send.

He hadn't even left Texas yet, and he couldn't wait to get back.

 **Okay, so I robbed you of the actual 'goodbye scene'. Sorry. (I was going to butcher it anyway… So I'm kinda not all that sorry anyway)**

 **Hope you're having fun though…**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey there! Just me again…**

"Hey buddy, welcome home!" Mac grinned as Jack hobbled out from the arrival gate.

"Hey Mac!" Jack grinned looking at Mac, "Is this payback for Massachusetts?"

Mac shrugged, "Maybe…"

"Well, I think I wore it better…" Jack chuckled as he pointed to Mac's shirt. "Dude, can you take my bag? It's kinda difficult to maneuver like this…"

"Of course…" Mac nodded as he moved in to free Jack from the duffle bag he had over his shoulder. "Did you have a nice 'vacation'?"

Jack nodded.

"I guessed so, I've barely heard from you!"

"What are you yapping about? I've called, I've texted…"

"Not as often as you usually do…" Mac smirked, "I mean, last time when you visited your sister… I think you called twice a day!"

"In my defense, YOU were recovering from that shoulder thingy…"

"You mean when I dislocated my shoulder?"

Jack nodded.

"And you had a broken collarbone!" Mac countered, "My shoulder wasn't any worse than yours!"

Jack shrugged.

"But you had a good time?"

Jack nodded again, "Yeah, had a great time!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac kept glancing over at Jack as he drove them back to Jack's place. "Leg still brothering you?"

Jack nodded, "Think I have to get some of the hardware removed before this one stops acting up…"

Mac looked down at the cast, then he nodded. "Kinda like that screw you had in your elbow after Cairo?"

"Exactly."

"Well, let's hope the break itself looks good…"

"Oh, it does."

"You've already been to the doctor?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I actually got a little nervous when it just kept on hurting… The fracture looks good."

"Good to hear man!" Mac smiled, guessing that his friend would be back in the field sooner rather than later. "So you're all set for going to the doctor again tomorrow?"

Jack nodded.

"You seem a little distracted…" Mac mused, "Is there something wrong?"

"Just…" Jack sighed, "I just miss her…"

"Michelle?"

"Yeah, who else?"

Mac shrugged, "She really means something, doesn't she?"

Jack nodded, massaging his thigh. "She does…"

"Man, I know you're easily wowed, but this is a whole different level." Mac chuckled.

"What can I say? I think I love her…" Jack admitted, "Really, really love her."

"Real serious in other words?"

Jack nodded again.

"More serious than Sarah?" Mac asked after a few seconds.

Jack didn't answer. Didn't nod, didn't shake his head. He just turned his head and looked out the window at the passing scenery.

The rest of the drive was done in silence.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The next day

"So you suffer a lot of pain?" the doctor asked. Jack nodded. "And you would like to have the screws and the plate removed as soon as possible?"

"At least that big one, I don't know if it's necessary to take out the rest…" Jack shrugged glancing over at the X-rays. "Didn't you say something about that I could have that taken out after six weeks?"

"No, that was the cast I was talking about… But yeah, that's most likely the one causing all the trouble…" the doctor agreed, "Now. In general, I'd like for all of those screws and the plate to stay in for at least _three months_. In general…"

"I sense a 'but' coming…" Jack said with hope in his voice.

"-But… You've been my patient for what? The better half of a decade?"

Jack nodded, "Think it's going on six or seven years now doc…"

"To cut to the chase, I know you. I know you don't fuzz over nothing. So when you come here and tell me that you're in pain, I know that I should take you seriously."

The doctor studied the X-rays once again, his index finger tracing the lines of the fractures and the screws. Like he was memorizing them.

"I could make a compromise. But you would have to be extra careful for a few weeks. –And I'm not promising that it will help with the pain, but I think it's worth a shot."

"What are you saying doc?"

"It's only been four weeks, but I think I could be able to remove that big one." Doctor Andrews suggested, "Now, to make me feel more at ease, you would have to wear the cast for a few more weeks. Just so I know your leg has the extra support. I know I was talking about having that taken off at six weeks, but if I remove the largest screw, I would like you to wear the cast for at least eight weeks."

"Two more weeks then?"

"Two more weeks than we first planned for…" the doctor nodded, "Might still need more time, but we start off with two more weeks."

"Okay, but when can we do this?"

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"No, not yet…" Jack admitted. It was kind of embarrassing to admit, but he just hadn't gotten around to it. It was only 11:30 after all, and he wasn't in danger of getting assigned any missions for the time being.

"Had anything to drink? Water, coffee, anything?"

Jack shook his head, sensing that this wasn't some kind of evaluation to see how well he was coping with the stress of being injured or something like that. This was more of a formality before the doctor could answer his question.

"Well then…" doctor Andrews smiled, "I could have the staff prep the surgery room now. We'll put you under, have that nasty sucker out and you awake all before 1 p.m… How do you feel about that?"

"Sounds great." Jack grinned.

"Perks of your workplace having its own medical staff, right?" Andrews smiled.

"Yeah, I've been grateful for that many times…" Jack smiled, "I bet this wouldn't have happened in a public hospital."

"You might be right about that…" Andrews shrugged, "Now, who do you want to poke you?"

"-With a needle…" Jack asked, his voice suddenly cold as ice.

Andrews nodded.

"Is Jonah here?"

"It's his day off…"

"Claire then…?"

"Claire? Okay, I'll have her do it…" Andrews nodded. "I'll just go inform the rest of the crew and we'll get to it…"

Jack nodded.

"Just wait here, try to relax…"

Jack nodded again. "Man, I hate needles…"

Andrews chuckled, "You know what? It still amazes me… You've been shot, stabbed, nearly electrocuted. Broken bones, had dislocations. Been burnt, had bruises that normal people wouldn't believe if they saw them… You go out there, and do it all over again. –But you're afraid of needles."

"I didn't say I was rational, now did I?" Jack countered with the usual nine words he used for this specific situation. He knew very well where his fear of needles stemmed from, and his fear wasn't irrational either. Well, needles with something in them at least…

 **Okay, I admit it… I'm team 'Jack has a fear of needles'…  
-I know I'm not alone!**


	22. Chapter 22

**I kinda have this challenge with myself, to see how long I can keep this up without me, or you, losing interest completely.**

 **(I'm sorry for all of my other un-finished works… I'd like to blame that butterfly in the corner… -Or that shiny lamp above my desk.)**

Michelle smiled as she saw the caller ID on her phone.

"Hey handsome!" she grinned as she answered.

"Hey darlin'!" Jack's voice came back.

She stepped out from behind the bar, and headed outdoors. It was still early, just a little past 3 p.m. She was stocking up her bar and preparing for when her patrons would arrive later.

"You sound tired…"

"Yeah, just woke up…" Jack yawned.

"Just woke up? Isn't it like 1 p.m. where you are? Have I messed up your sleep that bad?"

"Yeah… No, you haven't…" Jack chuckled, "Just had the bolt removed. Still a little drugged up."

"Oh, did it go well?"

"Think so…" Jack answered, she could hear the smile on his lips. "Doesn't hurt yet, but then again… Probably still a little drugged up…"

Michelle nodded to herself, "Well, let's hope it gets a whole lot better from now on!"

"Yeah, let's hope so!" Jack chuckled. "And you, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing…" Michelle shrugged, "Just putting booze into shelves and tidying a bit at the bar… And missing you… You know… Exactly what you'd expect…"

"I miss you too…"

"I never knew my bed could feel that big, or that lonely…" Michelle sighed, "It was missing you…"

"My bed felt all to big too," Jack admitted. "Wasn't all that fun to lay there all alone…"

There was a pause, five or six seconds of them just listening to each other's breaths over the phone, before Jack chuckled and asked. "How the hell did we become so attached?"

Michelle grinned, "Well, there was this really handsome soldier who hobbled into my bar a couple of weeks ago… And it was you."

"That beat-up soldier saw the kindest and most beautiful woman he'd ever seen…" Jack murmured calmly, "-And it was you."

Michelle blushed.

"Hey, the doctor is standing in the doorway. Do you mind if I call you tonight?"

"Not at all, I love you!"

"Damn, you always beat me to saying that!" Jack tried to sound annoyed, but the laughter in his voice ruined his attempt. "I love you too."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Girlfriend?" John Andrews asked as he walked over to Jack's bed.

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

"You didn't have that a couple of weeks ago, or have I just been very dense for a while?"

"No, you're correct." Jack smiled, "She's from Texas… Met her when I was back there…"

Doctor Andrews nodded, his brows drawn up in a concerned manner. "Long distance relationships…"

"Seldom ends well…" Jack nodded, "I know. But I've just got to make this work!"

"You've got to?"

"She's amazing!" Jack smiled, "I've just got to make this work, one way or the other…"

"But you're staying with us?"

"For now…" Jack nodded, "But honestly, this is the girl I'd be willing to retire for…"

"You're not thinking about…"

"No. Not directly." Jack shrugged, "But if that's what it takes, then I'd hang up my… Whatever… and move back to Texas with her."

"Well… For my sake, and for the rest of the world too, let's hope it doesn't come to that…" Andrews nodded as he patted Jack on his shoulder. "As much as you sometimes make my job a living hell, you're a great agent. And Phoenix needs you."

"I don't make your job a living hell…" Jack frowned.

Andrews crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't?"

"Nah…"

"Both you, and that blond kid, have a habit of coming in here… Dripping with blood and refusing to let us take a look at you! We always have to work as detectives to figure out if there is anything else wrong with you, apart from the painfully obvious, -like a limb poking the wrong way. I've discovered internal damage that likely would have killed you, FOUR TIMES! And when one or both of you are held up in here for more than 10 hours, we have to get someone to stand guard outside the door to make sure you don't run off! –But no… You're not making any of our lives difficult…"

"Okay…" Jack agreed, with a shameful frown. "I might be a slightly difficult patient…"

"But you're a good guy." John Andrews sighed, "Doing what you guys do… You make the world a safer place."

"Relax, I won't be quitting tomorrow…" Jack chuckled.

"I'm just putting it out there…" Andrews said, his hands coming up in a defensive position. "I hope this thing with that woman works out as a long distance thing. Or if she'd be willing to move, that'd be great! But… I think I speak for everyone here… We don't want to lose you."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle had just served up the second beer of the night when her phone buzzed again. She picked it up, expecting to see Jack's name on the caller ID. It wasn't him.

"Danny, how are you little brother?"

"I'm good, but not all that good…"

"Okay, mystery kid… Explain…"

"I flunked two of the tests…"

"Okay, so you'll take them up again… No big deal…" Michelle shrugged, even though she felt a little bad for Danny.

"No. You don't understand!" Danny said with a certain amount of desperation in his voice. "I flunked two tests, twice. And I don't think the last chance on either of them went any better!"

"Oh…" Michelle paused, "But you can still take the classes again, then you get three new tries on each of them."

"Sis, I think I need a break from all of this…" Danny sighed, "Take a year off, and just… You know… -Work."

"Might not be the worst idea ever…" Michelle nodded.

"So, thing is… I'm calling you first, because… Well…"

Michelle waited patiently as Danny tried to form the next sentence in his mind.

"Is there a chance I could get some shifts at the bar? Like, 50% or something? I could just stay here and find keep on working at that grocery-store I already have a couple of shifts at. I know they're looking for someone who can take a bigger position… But I miss Texas, and I miss you guys. –And I want to go home, but I don't want to have to look all over the place for a job…"

"Okay, yes… I've been working 7 nights a week for way too long already… Dad have stepped in when I've really needed it, but if you want to work here. That would be super!"

"You mean that?"

"If you need it, I think you could get more than 50% too. I've seen in the paper that they're looking for nurses lately. I could probably get a few shifts if I don't get enough hours at the bar…"

"You mean that?"

"Would I be suggesting it if I didn't mean it?"

"I don't know…"

"I wouldn't…" Michelle chuckled, "So, you have any plans for when you're coming home?"

"I have one class left, which I still have a hope of passing. Plus I've got six weeks notice at the shop."

"Okay, so… Six weeks then?"

"Could we say eight? Maybe even more… I need to move too you know… That's not done easily."

"Sure, just give me a hint a week or so before you're ready to begin here…"

"Thanks Michelle!" Danny smiled, much less distressed than when the call had started, "You're the best!"

"Hey, that's what family are for!" Michelle grinned, this could work to her advantage too.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was a couple of hours later, Jack had been released from Phoenix's hospital wing, and Mac was once again waiting on him.

"So… Did you know you were going to have surgery today?" Mac asked as he followed Jack down to the entrance and his Jeep.

"Not before I was here… No." Jack paused, "But it wasn't a big surgery…"

"No… It wasn't." Mac agreed, "But it's still surgery. And you know how I feel when my friends are in surgery…"

"And that's one of the reasons I didn't say anything. It was a small surgery, I'm actually impressed they decided to put me under…"

"Oh, I think I know why… I can't imagine it would be any easier to place an epidural on you…"

Jack nodded as he reflected over that. "Yeah, you're probably right… Anyway… I didn't tell you, because Murphy would have had to work double overtime if this should have gone wrong. And I didn't need for you to get all worried over something which was literally nothing…"

Mac glanced over at Jack, even though he didn't quite agree with his logic, he couldn't reason against it either.

"I'm not a fan of when you guys are in surgery…" Mac finally sighed, and Jack knew why.

"Well brother… Sometimes it's a necessary evil…" Jack chuckled lightly, "Just like those damned needles."

Mac nodded, a brief smile crossing his lips. "Just like the needles…"

 **Okay, notice: I've written that Mac doesn't like when his** ** _friends_** **are in surgery. –I might have Mac feel uneasy about surgeries in general, or just when they apply to people he care about (excluding himself). Just wanted to point that out, if it should come up in a future chapter.**

 **Also: This freaking chapter had a little bit of EVERYTHING! Literally!**

 **And: Do you think I managed to keep a straight face as I wrote 'Phoenix's hospital WING'? -Nope, no I didn't… I giggled way more than I should…**


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello darlings!**

 **This chapter will probably be peppered by small time-jumps. Haha!  
Those time jumps will be marked with my usual 'MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016' break, but in BOLD text… **

It was now two weeks since he had had the bolt removed. And everything was working nicely.

He still had to wear the cast, but at least he wasn't in pain 24-7.

He had started to get back to work, albeit just riding the desk. It was boring, uneventful and a job he just really didn't enjoy. He was made for physical stuff. Not paperwork.

He glanced up at the clock on the wall. 11:23, back at Michelle's it would be half past one right about now.

He looked down and continued typing, cussing silently to himself every time he hit the wrong key. _How in the world could Riley type so fast? Oh, yeah… Practice…_

He looked up again, still 11:23. The second hand on the clock was the only thing which had moved, not much, not even by 30 seconds.

He sighed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

12:00. FINALLY! Lunch hour!

Jack set his leg down to the floor, he didn't even need to help with his hands. He swung his legs out to the side, and pushed himself to a standing position. Then he grabbed his crutches and headed for the corridor.

He found the nearest elevator and stepped in. Then he pushed the button for the roof.

Once the elevator reached the roof, he hobbled over to one of the benches. He sat down and picked his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey… I bet you look beautiful today!" he grinned as Michelle answered on the second ring.

"Well, I don't know about that…" Michelle chuckled. "I look like a hot mess right now…"

"Well, duh… You're always hot…" Jack smiled, "I'm not so sure about the 'mess' part though…"

"Thanks…" Michelle sighed, "But I've got multiple unknown stains on my tank top, confetti in my hair, and a creeping suspicion that I would make a horrible mother…"

Jack snorted, "What is happening over there?"

"My cousin is visiting. With her kids…"

"Oh, yeah… Been there myself…" Jack chortled. "All of my sisters have kids."

"They do?"

"Yes, and now… I try to visit them from time to time. Always a blast. Except for when you're beat up from work or combat and you've got three young ones launching themselves at you. That just hurts…"

Michelle winced. "Sounds worse than this…"

"Nah… Pain only lasts a little while anyway…" Jack smiled. "And I think you're wrong…"

"Huh?"

"That creeping suspicion that you would make a horrible mother?" Jack chuckled, blushing as his mind went on a little field trip down the road marked 'what-can-happen-in-the-future'. "I think you would be an awesome mother."

"Trying to steal boyfriend points again?" Michelle asked.

"No…"

"Too bad, it was working…" Michelle chuckled, "50 points to you!"

Jack grinned, "Yay! 50 more points, how many kisses am I up to for the next time we meet?"

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe a year's worth…" Michelle teased.

"I'll probably empty that account in about a week…" Jack chuckled.

"Then I'll just give you more points on the kisses, and suddenly you'll be in for an eternity of kisses. –Maybe even a backrub or three…"

Jack's smile widened. "I'd be up for that!"

"Giving or receiving?"

"Both!" Jack answered quickly, "You know I can't keep my hands off of you!"

Michelle laughed, Jack smiled.

Suddenly the elevator door opened again, and Riley stepped out. She had a tinfoil swan in her left hand and a fork in her right.

"Special delivery from Bozer's kitchen…" she declared, "We figured you'd be up here when you didn't show up at the cafeteria…"

"Thanks Riley…" Jack smiled as he took the elegantly wrapped food and the fork and placed it on the bench beside him.

"Riley's there?" Michelle asked quickly, "Say hi from me!"

"I will…" Jack said into the phone, before he angled it away from his mouth, and spoke to Riley. "Ri… Michelle told me to say hi!"

"Say hi back then…" Riley winked. "Mac and Boze are waiting for me downstairs, so… I have to go."

"Hey, tell Bozer I said thanks!"

Riley gave him thumbs up as she started to back away towards the elevator again.

"Teammates looking out for you I suppose…"

Jack nodded, then he remembered that he was on the phone and that Michelle wouldn't be able to see him nod. "Yeah, Bozer brought some leftovers to me for lunch today. Riley delivered them…"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Two more weeks later (8 weeks since he broke his leg)

"So… Any news?" Michelle asked as soon as Jack picked up the phone. She knew he had been to the doctor today, and that there was a chance he could have the cast removed too.

"Yeah, no more itchy cast, and I can start to walk. –Or, you know… Try to…" Jack admitted as he limped from his kitchen and into his living room.

"So, how does it feel?"

"Well, it's been eight weeks since I really used that leg…" Jack reasoned, "It's weird, but doesn't hurt all that much…"

"Good."

"And you? How's life in Texas?" Jack asked as he lowered himself on the couch and kicked up his feet. Just because he was out of the cast and it didn't hurt all that much anymore, didn't mean he didn't need to have his leg elevated from time to time.

"Good… Bobby and the rest of the guys told me to tell you that they missed you. And you already know I miss you…"

"I do, I miss you too." Jack answered, biting his lip.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

August 3rd 2017

"Hey, just calling to let you know I might be a little hard to reach for two or three weeks." Jack drawled as he secured a Velcro strap holding his vest in place.

"Okay, why?" Michelle frowned.

"We're headed out for a mission. Looks like it's gonna take a few weeks."

"Oh, you're back in business!"

"Yeah…" Jack grinned. "I'm back! The leg is good enough to do whatever I need to, though I might get a little sore I guess…"

Michelle chuckled, "It wouldn't be an idea to just wait a few more weeks, you know… Until you're as strong as you were before you got injured?"

"Nah… Doc cleared me, and the PT cleared me…" Jack shrugged, "And I've cleared myself a couple of weeks ago…"

"Remember how that jog ended?"

"At home…"

"Okay, I'll admit that. You got yourself home in one piece! But you were in pain for almost a week afterwards."

"Well… I'm good now… I've been running a lot in PT, and the strength exercises are coming along nicely too…"

"And mules aren't half as stubborn as Jack Wyatt Dalton…" Michelle sighed in defeat. "Just promise me you make it back alright…"

"Oh, sugar… Don't you worry 'bout that!" Jack chuckled, "I've always made it back home before!"

"-In one piece please…"

"Don't worry…" Jack smiled as he strapped on the backup to the backup pistol. Then he reached for his rifle, "I'll be back before you know it…"

"Jack… It's only been about eleven weeks since you broke that leg…" Michelle tried to reason, "Please be careful…"

"Always am…"

"-We both know that's a lie…" Michelle sighed, Jack had way too many scars to pull off that statement.

"It's gonna be fine honey…" Jack tried to reassure her, just as Matty stepped inside the room.

"Wheels up in 20 Jack…"

Jack nodded and watched director Webber turn on her heel and leave.

"Michelle, I've got to hurry a bit. But don't worry, I'll be fine! And I'll call you as soon as I'm back home! Okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"Sorry, can't tell."

"Be careful, okay?"

"I'll do my best!" Jack smiled, before he hastily added "I love you!"

Michelle smiled, "I love you too, but be safe out there… Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Jack grinned.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Nine days of radio silence, and Michelle was turning into a nervous wreck. She worried. Worried a lot. And every time her phone buzzed she expected the worst, or his voice. But then it turned out to be her father or some delivery guy asking for directions.

After twelve days she was waking up in the middle of the day (her night), sweating and worrying about her boyfriend.

Fifteen days left her short-tempered, something she had never been before. And poor Sam Verner was the unlucky soul who had to listen to her verbal abuse.

The sixteenth day had her crying in the storing room of her bar, wiping away the moisture from her eyes and cheeks before she walked back out there.

21 days, and he finally called.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey babe…" Jack drawled, his voice was tired. Drained. "How are ya?"

"Oh my God!" Michelle blurted out as soon as she realized that this was actually Jack, her Jack. Calling. "I've been so worried! How are you, are you alright?"

"I'm good…"

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"Nah… A few cuts and bruises, nothing to fuzz over. Just the 'grand' total of _maybe_ nine stitches…"

"Stitches? –But you're okay? Nothing broken? Nothing badly hurt?"

"I'm good, darlin'…" Jack chuckled, "Just a little tired, we've been up for 36 hours straight. Just landed in L.A., 'bout to get stitched up and checked out by the staff at work. Just regular protocol, they would have taken us in for that check-up if we had been assigned a mission which in all reality was to walk across the street and buy three coffees too. Absolutely nothing to worry about…"

Jack knew that was a lie. But right now he figured a small lie to keep Michelle calm was good enough. She didn't need to know that he'd been caught in the blast of an explosion. He had managed to walk away afterwards, that was what counted.

"Okay, if you say so…" Michelle relaxed a bit. Tension leaving her shoulders. "Can you give me a hint of where you were?"

"We were in Asia, think that's about as specific I can go… -Sorry…"

"Okay…" Michelle sighed, "Hey, I'm glad you're home…"

"So am I…" Jack admitted, silently wincing as he shrugged off his vest. He hadn't bothered with taking it off for the flight home. He was that tired…

"Look, I'd love to talk for hours right about now. But that would probably just end with you listening to be snoring over the phone, and the medical staff here wants to go home I guess… So, can I call you, or Skype when I wake up tomorrow afternoon?"

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Michelle giggled, "Man, you must be really tired…"

"Yeah, I am… And I stink. I need a shower so bad…" Jack grimaced as he caught a whiff of himself. "Maybe I'll go for multitasking, sleep in the shower…"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not sure about that…" Jack almost chuckled. "But hey, I love you."

"Love you too!" Michelle smiled, no longer stressed out of her mind. "Sleep tight…"

 **Okay, I needed time to pass quickly here… Because Jack was busy and Michelle was busy and neither of them could actually visit the other.**

 **But I've got plans. Don't you worry! Don't you worry…**


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay, so… Here comes the next one!**

 **Still a few time-jumps. Try to bear with me…**

"Whoa… That looks painful…" Michelle gasped as Jack's face came up on her screen.

"This little thing?" Jack joked, pointing at the shiner surrounding his left eye, and half of his cheek. "Not half as bad as it looks…"

"You sure? It looks really, really bad." Michelle grimaced, "What happened?"

"Got punched in the face a couple days ago…" Jack shrugged, "Honestly, it looks worse than it is. Most of the bruising have dropped down with gravity. Wasn't this bad yesterday…"

Michelle tilted her head, "And you want me to believe that?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah… It's the truth. Besides, I didn't even get a concussion."

" _You didn't even get a concussion…_ You make it sound like you get concussions often…"

"I get them sometimes…" Jack shrugged, "But it comes with the territory."

Michelle sighed, shaking her head.

"But you're not hurt in any other way?"

"A few bumps and bruises, and twelve stitches. Doc decided I needed a little more than nine…"

"Where?"

"Just above my left elbow, five stitches… Right side, three stitches…"

"That's eight…"

Jack held up his left hand showing a wrapped up thumb. "Four stitches."

"How did you do all this?" Michelle mused, her eyes narrowing at the sight of the bandage.

"Knife fight…" Jack shrugged. "Other guy lost…"

Michelle nodded. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yes, honey… I'm all good…" Jack grinned back. "And you?"

"Well, Danny has moved back home. He wants to start taking a few shifts at the bar…" Michelle lit up, "I might actually get some time off every now and then…"

Jack beamed, "Does that mean what I think it does?"

"Means that if you have a couple of slow weeks back in LA I might be able to take a trip…" Michelle winked.

"Or if I have time off, I can head back to Texas and we could spend the time just relaxing with each other…" Jack suggested with a wide smile.

"I'd love that…" Michelle admitted.

"Preferably without a cast next time…" Jack chuckled, "Maybe we could…"

He blushed before he was able to finish the sentence.

"I'd really love that…" Michelle winked, knowing what Jack was thinking about.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Two weeks later – Yet another mission…

"MAC! BEHIND YOU!" Jack called as he ducked a high roundhouse kick.

He didn't really catch how it happened, but first man Mac was fighting ended up on the floor. Bleeding. Leaving Mac open to protect himself against dude number two.

Jack got a little sidetracked as he caught four knuckles to the diaphragm. Effectively knocking the air out of him.

He stumbled backward, but recovered quickly enough, answering the hit with a real haymaker of his own. His hand collapsed against the man's skull, Jack remembered that feeling. The pain didn't have to register, he already knew his hand would need to be looked at by a professional.

He followed the blow with a trademark head-butt knocking the other guy to the ground.

Jack offered a glimpse down at his hand, almost feeling sick to his stomach when he saw the weird form his hand had.

"Jack! Little help here!" Mac called out, he was held in a headlock by the guy Jack had warned him about a minute ago.

Jack nodded, moving in from the side. He tapped the guy on his shoulder, swinging his elbow around knocking the man out on the first attempt.

"Thanks man…" Mac coughed, as he rubbed his neck. "That guy had a good hold…"

"That's good brother, but I've got another problem…" Jack gritted out, holding his hand up to show Mac. The pain was just starting to register.

"You broke your hand?"

Jack nodded, "Against that dude's skull…"

"Shit, does it hurt?"

"It's gonna…" Jack shrugged, "Just started to feel it…"

Mac frowned, reaching for Jack's deformed hand. Jack pulled away.

"Don't touch it!"

"Okay… I won't…" Mac held his hands up. "But we should probably fix a splint for that. Before it starts hurting bad…"

Jack shrugged, looking down at his own hand, "Yeah, you're probably right…"

Right as Mac was about to gather something to stabilize the obvious fracture in Jack's hand, a loud resonant boom sounded from the far end of the building.

"Later Mac! Think we're needed right now!" Jack growled as he hauled Mac after him with his left hand.

"Copy that!" Mac gasped, as he tried to put his feet down under him. Without stumbling too much.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack was first through the door, his feet catching in a tripwire sending him forward off the stairs on the high end.

Mac managed to stop himself before he fell off the stairs in the same way.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Jack cried out a floor further down.

"You good buddy?"

"NO!" Jack growled as Mac made his way down the flight of stairs.

"How'd you land?"

"Wrist first…" Jack winced as he rolled over to his left shoulder, protecting his right arm against his chest. "Go figure out what went kaboom… I'll catch up!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah! Leave!" Jack gritted out, squeezing his eyes shut.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac returned ten minutes later. A sheen of sweat covering his face.

Jack had managed to move from the floor and over to a crate standing against the wall to the left. He still had his right arm pressed against his chest, pain written all over his face.

"Find something?"

Mac nodded, "A small device, more bark than bite… And two guys waiting…"

"Well, since you're here I guess you took them out…?"

Mac nodded, "There was this shelf system along the wall… It had been weakened by the blast. Only took a good yank to make it come raining down on them…"

"That's good kid…" Jack growled as he doubled over. "MAN! MY ARM HURTS!"

"Let me take a look at that…"

"Nuh-uh…" Jack shook his head, "Already know it's broken…"

"Of course it's broken…" Mac nodded, "But we should splint it. Make sure it doesn't move more than it has to…"

Jack grimaced, but nodded.

"You want me to do that now?"

Jack nodded hesitantly.

"Man, the bones leading out to your index and middle finger looks messed up…" Mac mused as he eyed the swelling hand for a second. "Just wait here… -And try to get your belt off, I'm gonna need it…"

Jack nodded, as he started to fumble with his belt buckle with his left hand.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

"Uncle Ni… UNCLE JAAAACK!" Thea and Ryan called out as Jack made his way up the driveway. Both the 4- and 5 year old started sprinting towards him. Pausing as they realized their uncle had one of his arms resting in a sling.

"You have ow-ow?" Ryan, the youngest asked as he pointed to his own arm.

Jack nodded.

"Uncle Jack broke his arm… But he still wants that hug you guys were about to give him!" Jack said as he knelt down to hug the two kids. "Where's Matt?"

"In school…" Thea answered as she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. Hugging him. "He's a big boy…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, he's eight now, isn't he?"

Thea nodded as she stepped back, giving Ryan enough room to hug Jack.

"That he is…" Jack grinned, "And mom? Where is Rita?"

"In the ki-chen" Ryan answered.

"In the kitchen huh?" Jack nodded as he lifted Ryan on his good arm, "How about we go inside?"

The kids nodded, and Thea skipped ahead.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey sis…" Jack grinned as he stepped into the kitchen.

"Jackie!" Rita smiled as she turned around. "Oh, you're h… Your arm…?"

Jack nodded, "Just a couple of fractures…"

"What did you do this time?" she asked planting her hands on her hips.

"Took a bad landing, that's all…" Jack shrugged.

"You know I don't believe that you've just turned into the world's worst klutz of a stuntman… You're doing something… I know it…" Rita smirked, pointing at Jack with the spatula she had in her hand.

"What are you talkin' 'bout?" Jack chuckled.

"You still have the same callouses as when you were in active duty…" Rita shrugged, "You still do the same stuff… Just a different organization."

"Now why would I do that…?" Jack frowned, hoisting Ryan further up on his good arm.

"You're an action junkie… Always have been…" Rita smirked, "Relax, no one else knows…"

"No one else knows, cause there is nothing to know…" Jack reasoned, "I double as a stuntman, you know…"

Stuntman had turned into Jack's regular way of explaining all the odd injuries he sustained way too often. And he had used it as a cover story within his family too. That and being a part of LAPD.

"Right, when the police uniform feels a little too boring…" Rita rolled her eyes. "You might fool mom, Nick and our other sisters… But I don't believe you…"

"Okay, believe what you want…"

"I will!" Rita winked.

Jack smirked and shook his head. He had to give it to Rita, she had the observer skills of a trained professional. If she hadn't chosen to be a doctor, Jack would have tried to guide her into the same path he had taken himself.

"So, you're staying for two days?"

Jack nodded. "Have to say hi to you guys, plus it's been ages since I visited mom… I've been too busy lately, and I feel bad about it…"

"Busy saving the world…" Rita chimed in.

"Rizz, that's not true…" Jack laughed, "Saving the streets of LA… Maybe…"

"Why only two days?" Rita finally asked, nodding towards the sling, "Looks like you've got more than two days off of work there…"

"I've got something to do up in Sealy…" Jack shrugged.

"Sealy? What in the world would make you take a trip to Sealy? It's so small you could literally miss it if you blinked!" Rita frowned, "And it's almost a five hour drive!"

Jack flashed her a big, bright grin.

"There's a girl there? Isn't there?"

"Lots of girls in Sealy I guess…" Jack teased.

"If you weren't hurt already, I'd smack you!" Rita growled as she put the spatula down. "Is there a girl there? You know, one you take special interest in?"

Jack didn't answer, just stood there with the biggest grin on his face and with his nephew on his arm.

"There is!" Rita beamed, "What's her name? –And when can I meet her?"

"Her name is Michelle, and you do not tell this to anyone else. Not yet…"

Rita nodded, "Okay…"

"I could ask her to tag along the next time we have a family reunion. But I'd for her to know me a little better before that, can't have the bunch of you scaring her away…" Jack winked, as he lowered Ryan to the floor.

"Us, scare her away?" Rita shook her head as she picked up the spatula again and started wiping the dough down from the edges of her baking bowl. "If she keeps up with you, we're not gonna be a problem Whiskey…"

Jack chuckled at the old nickname, "Seriously, you still call me that…"

"Hey, you still call me Rizz…" Rita placed a hand on her hip.

"Okay, that's true little sis…"

"So, why go here first? I assume you came straight from LA today…"

Jack nodded, "Didn't feel like showing up there with a sling, thought I'd wait until I'm comfortable without it…"

"And you just expect it to get a whole lot better in two days? Since when did fractures get better after two days?"

"It's been almost a week now, I've already thought about tossing this thing away…" Jack tugged lightly at the blue fabric of the sling.

"Okay then…" Rita shrugged, "Why don't you want to show up at her place with that sling?"

"Cause I feel like a clown…" Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "And because it feels like bad manners to show up when you're temporarily semi-helpless…"

"But it's okay to show up at my place in the same condition…?"

Jack nodded, "Of course it is, you're my sister… -And you did say that I had to take a trip as soon as I had the chance…"

"Okay, you win…" Rita chuckled. "-You win…"

 **Okay, so… I did a little research. And turns out, Jack Dalton Sr. was 21 when our Jack was born… So… The lineup of the Dalton siblings have changed a bit in this story compared to my Whiskey story. (In Whiskey, Jack and Nick have four older sisters and one younger. Here it's opposite, one older, four younger…)**

 **Okay?**


	25. Chapter 25

**This time I feel the need to add a little dictionary input:**

 _OTC – Operator Training Course_

 **Okay, now… Let's get going!**

The next morning, Jack was woken by three niblings running inside his room at a quarter to eight.

"Uncle Jack! Wake up! Wake up-wake up-wake up!" they sang as they jumped up and down on the floor beside his bed.

Jack turned his head to the side, and rubbed sleep out of his eyes with his good hand. "Alright, I'm awake…"

"Good uncle!" Thea beamed, "Mom is making breakfast! Dad's watching the news…"

Jack nodded. "I'll be right down, just need to get dressed first…"

He knew all his siblings had seen most of his scars. And he knew they could take seeing the new ones too, but he wanted to avoid mentally scarring his nieces and nephews as far as it was possible. At least the youngest ones.

"Can you three go ask mom if she has coffee ready?"

Rita's three children sprinted out of his room, and down the hallway. Jack hurried to get up and get dressed. He had just put on his t-shirt and was about to put on his sling as the three kids returned to his room.

"Why do you wear that thing uncle?" Matt, the oldest asked.

"Because I broke my arm, and I need to keep it still."

"But you only have cast up to here…" Matt observed and pointed near his own elbow.

"Yeah, that's because it's my wrist and hand that is broken…" Jack nodded, "But it's still very fresh, and it starts throbbing if I just walk around with my hand down…"

Matt nodded. "Breaking things hurt…"

Jack couldn't agree more. "You broke your arm a few months back, didn't you?"

Matt nodded, "I went over the handlebar of my bike…"

"That's not what Rita told me…" Jack chuckled.

"Okay, I jumped with my bike. Then I went over the handlebar…"

Jack couldn't help but laugh. As far as he knew, Matt was a blond copy of himself. Same wild and rambunctious demeanor, but protective as hell of everyone he cared for.

"Was it a big jump?"

Matt shook his head, "I would only have jumped 4 feet long if I landed…"

"Now, a four foot jump on a bike can be long enough…" Jack shrugged. His own record was far further, but he had been a little older than Matt was now.

"-But I've made an eight foot jump!" Matt looked up, "Landed it too!"

Then he looked at his siblings, "And you don't tell that to mom or dad!"

Thea and Ryan nodded obediently.

Jack laughed. _Yep… Matt was a blond version of himself at 8-years old. Rita and Mark sure had their work cut out for them…_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Sis, this tastes wonderful…" Jack as he picked up another piece of pancake with his fork.

"It's only pancakes, not much that could go wrong with the recipe…" Rita shrugged.

"But you make the best pancakes, like… Ever…" Jack smirked, "Always have…"

"Well, I know it's your favorite. So I figured you might want some for breakfast…" Rita smiled.

"Thank you!"

"So, any plans for today?" Mark asked, smiling over at his brother-in-law, if not he'd be happy to spend the evening watching sports on the television with him.

"Thought I should visit mom, and maybe Tessa, or Christine…" Jack shrugged, "It's sure been a long time since I did that last…"

"I could make a couple of calls, see how many we can get to visit mom today…" Rita shrugged, "That way most of us could get together all at once…"

"That's not a bad idea…" Jack admitted, "Let's do that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack!" his mother, Caroline, grinned as she hurried down the stairs. The woman was still fit and fast in her steps. "I haven't seen you in forever kid…"

"You're quick to assume it's me…" Jack chuckled, "I could have been Nick…"

"Nonsense…" Caroline shook her head, "You still look like you do sports, often, and if one of my seven kids shows up here with a cast, or with crutches. There is a 95 percent chance it's YOU!"

"Taking all my sisters into that count too?"

"Of course I am!" the 69 year old answered with a light slap on Jack's good shoulder. "So, what have you been up to now?"

"Oh, this?" Jack nodded to his arm, "Was doing stunt work for a new movie, landed odd."

"And you managed to break two fingers?" Caroline raised her eyebrows in suspicion.

"Two metacarpals… Yeah…" Jack nodded, "And my wrist…"

"I thought you usually broke metacarpals by punching…" his mom looked at him with the same laser-like stare she used to get him to spill the truth when he was younger.

"Well, that's usually how it's done…" Jack admitted, "But I was falling, and about to catch myself with my hand, but my hand was balled up in a fist and I hit the concrete knuckles frist. My wrist just collapsed…"

"Not your most believable story, son…" Caroline sighed, "But then again, it's you…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack frowned.

"Oh, falling off your bike at stand-still… -Breaking your elbow. Crashing your motorcycle against a Mack-truck, walking away from it just missing some skin on your right knee… -And that was less than 18 months after your shoulder had been turned into Swiss cheese back in Kuwait or Afghanistan or wherever! Your motorcycle was totaled in the crash…"

Jack nodded, "Okay, sometimes I'm unlucky, sometimes I've got luck shoved up my rear… I get it…"

Caroline nodded, "Well, come on in… Let's get some food in you, you're way too skinny!"

Jack just shook his head. After his mom had become a grandma, she had turned into her own mom. The kind of grandma that would feed you until you practically rolled out of the kitchen afterwards, and would say that you'd gotten too skinny if she hadn't seen you in a couple of months. But he followed her up the stairs.

"Missy, Mary, Christine, Rita and Tessa are coming over later…" Caroline smiled, "They didn't tell me why, but now I get it!"

"Yeah… Did they say if they were bringing the kids too?"

"Mary and Tessa will, don't know about the others…" his mom shrugged, "Tessa's little baby-girl is just the cutest little angel ever!"

"Oh, yeah. How old is she now?"

"Five months! And she's so awake, she always smiling and flirting with us!" Caroline grinned with stars in her eyes, "Just wait until you see her! She'll totally steal your heart!"

Jack smiled and sat down at his old spot around the kitchen table. His mom had already started to set over some coffee.

"I bet she will…"

Caroline walked over to the fridge, taking out some homemade lemonade. Then she found a glass and a cup for each of them. "And Nick has finally found himself a girlfriend, they got engaged about a month ago…"

Jack nodded, he suddenly felt a bit bad for not keeping tabs on all of his siblings. Especially his twin who only lived a couple of hours away. "He did? What's her name?"

"Anna, cute girl. Maybe a little bit wilder than your brother…"

"Well, Nick's never been really wild…" Jack reasoned.

"No, but she's more what I'd expect from you… Not him…" Caroline shrugged, "But they are cute together. And they look to be good for each other too…"

Jack nodded.

"And you, Whiskey?" Caroline asked as she poured up a glass of lemonade for him. "What's happening in your world…"

"Oh, same old… Lots of work…" Jack shrugged.

"Any girls stealing your heart?" his mom inquired, taking a sip of lemonade from her own glass.

Jack blushed, and instantly knew there was no way of wiggling past that question now.

"What's her name?"

"-Michelle." Jack answered and looked away, willing the redness to leave his cheeks.

"Is she the kind you end up with, or just a couple of months worth of fun?" there were no judgement in her tone as she asked. Just curiosity. Caroline knew her son.

"I hope this one will last…" Jack smiled, "She's… She's perfect."

"And is this a new thing? Or has it lasted some time?"

Jack shrugged, "Since the start of June, but she lives here in Texas… So we've been keeping in touch by phone mostly…"

"About three months then…" his mom calculated. It was September 8th now. "Keeping in touch by phone, that sounds boring…"

"Well, you and dad kept in touch by letters when he was in 'Nam… And we skype too…"

Caroline nodded, "Okay, you're right… But do you plan on moving back here?"

Jack shrugged, "We'll see…"

"Well, we'd all like that…"

"She lives up in Sealy, it's a bit of a drive…"

"But you'd be in Texas…" Caroline winked, I could actually jump in the car and visit you for the weekend!"

Jack smiled, "We'll figure it out, but there's no need to rush it…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was fun to meet most of his family again, a little tiring, but mostly fun.

All of his sisters had brought their kids with them, even the ones who were grown up (as far as they were still in the area). Nick was the only one of his siblings who couldn't come, but he was back in San Diego.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Thomas, one of his oldest nephews, sat next to Jack. He was busy showing him pictures he had taken at the base he had been stationed at the last twelve months. The kid was home on leave, and would return in about a month.

"I can remember you were in the military…" Thomas sat back, a smug smirk unfolding on his face "I'm not sure I remember what you said you did…"

"Of course you would remember me being in the military, I didn't leave until late in 2011…"

"Yeah, I know… I was just trying to start a conversation…" Thomas smirked, "All my childhood I remember you, suddenly showing up out of nowhere, then suddenly have to leave again a couple of weeks or months later… It was always awesome when you were around. You always taught me cool tricks… And it always sucked when you had to leave, but mom told me you had a real important job…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I liked the action… Never was good at staying home. But leaving always sucked for me too…"

Thomas nodded understandingly.

"How old are you now, Tommy?"

"26…"

Jack nodded, "And when did you enlist?"

"At 20, mom didn't let me until then…"

Jack smirked, "Yeah, sounds like Mary…"

"But what did you do in the army?" Thomas asked, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, I was a delta force operator…" Jack admitted.

Thomas brought his phone up again, found a picture and zoomed in. "Does this look familiar?"

The picture was of Thomas in his service uniform. Most likely at the graduation from OTC

"Wait, you're Delta?" Jack recognized the familiar emblem Thomas wore on his uniform.

"Yeah, when I enlisted, mom told me you used to be a Delta operator." Thomas shrugged, before he continued with a wink "And I've always wanted to be just like my uncle you know…"

Jack grinned proudly, he could remember his second oldest nibling always mimicking him whenever he was around.

"I just have to ask, do you happen to know a guy named Cooper Lea, or Duncan Johnson?"

Thomas shook his head, "No… Why?"

"Nothing, it just would have been awesome if you accidentally had been placed with my old outfit…" Jack shrugged.

"I'll keep eyes and ears open, if I meet them I'll let them know you're my uncle…"

"Shit, now I've got to call and order them not to tell any embarrassing stories about me, if you ever happen to meet them…"

"Oh, I'll make sure to have a bottle of something good at hand at all times. Information can be bought you know…" Thomas teased with a huge grin.

"You wouldn't…"

"Oh, I certainly would!" Thomas laughed, "Especially now!"

Jack shook his head as he chuckled, "Well, that's it… My reputation is screwed…"

"It already is, the 'adults' still talk about all the weird shit you pulled growing up. After hearing some of it, I'm amazed you're not resting underneath the soil already…" Thomas shrugged, no longer with a playful tone to his voice. "You make all of us young ones look like choir boys, and girls… -Maybe except Matt…"

Jack ran a hand down his face, "They still keep that up?"

"Whenever they run out of other things to talk about, yes…" Thomas chuckled, "If I got to know a few of your old Delta buddies, we could finally get some new stories to talk about…"

Jack grimaced, "Well, some of those stories don't belong amongst family, because of somewhat bad taste… Others are classified… But good luck!"

 **I couldn't help myself, I had to insert more of Jack's family into this fic…**

 **I'm incredibly good at getting sidetracked… (If you haven't noticed that before…)**


	26. Chapter 26

**So today's chapter turned out to be a shorty, but hopefully a goodie…**

 **Okay, I know you've been waiting for this. I've been stalling… I know that… [insert evil laughter here]**

The next day, after a very long drive Jack stood outside of her door, a bouquet held behind his back with his left hand. His right hand just held behind his back.

He had called Rory earlier that day, to find out where he would find Michelle when he arrived in town. Rory was easy to trust, and Jack knew his surprise visit would be just that… A surprise.

He tapped his boot against the door and waited. He could hear her calling out from inside, letting him know she was on her way to open the door.

"Yeah?" she asked before the door was fully open. Then she saw it was him and her face broke in to a huge grin. "JACK!"

"Hey sugar…" Jack smiled as he pulled out the bouquet, "I brought flowers…"

She barely glanced at the flowers before she wrapped her hands behind his neck, gently pulling him down to her level for a long overdue kiss. While the kiss lasted, Jack placed the flowers on the table standing just within his reach inside the hallway. Then he lifted her, using his left hand and right elbow under her arms. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I've missed you…" she whispered as she pulled away from the kiss to look at him.

Jack started to say the same thing back to her, but was muffled by her lips coming back on to his for another kiss. He smiled and walked them inside. Turned right, and pinned her up against the wall – freeing his good hand and letting it rest at her waist. His right arm was in an L-shape up against the wall.

They spent a good five minutes like that, before Jack let her back down on the floor.

He cupped her face with his left hand and placed a final kiss on her lips before he straightened back up a bit.

"How've you been?" he asked breathlessly, his forehead pressed against hers. Brown eyes locked on green ones. Green ones that made him think of a field of clover.

"Good…" she smiled, "And you?"

"I'm good…" Jack grinned, "-Great now that I'm back here with you…"

Michelle leaned in and kissed his neck, before she stepped back, looking him over.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked, gently lifting his cast-covered arm into both of their view.

"Nothin'…"

"Come on, Jack…"

"Okay… I punched a dude, and then I sort of landed on my hand later that mission…"

"Well, is it bad?"

"Nah… It'll heal…" Jack shrugged, "And it's nothing like the leg, if that's what you're asking…"

"Well, the dude probably had it coming…"

Jack nodded. "His record showed just about everything… You know, way more than stealing old ladies' handbags, robbing a K-mart or two, even more than killing a few pets. Real scum, waste of air –really…"

Michelle frowned, "But you got him?"

Jack nodded, "He's locked up, and won't see anything outside a prison yard for the rest of his earthly life…"

"Good…" Michelle nodded, then she glanced down at Jack's legs. "How is the leg, by the way…?"

"Good, back to how it should be…" Jack grinned.

Michelle smiled, hugging Jack's chest. "That's good to hear…"

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello again! I'm BAAACK!**

The next morning they didn't make it out of bed before three in the afternoon. –And not because Michelle had been working at the bar the night before. No, they just didn't leave the bed.

"Maybe we should take a shower…" Michelle winked as she pushed herself up to kiss Jack on his cheek. They had both sweated a fair share since they made it to bed the night before. Then she settled back to her resting spot by Jack's left shoulder. Jack nodded, but neither of them made a move to get up.

She let her forefinger trace the length of the scar near his right shoulder. The person who had stitched it up hadn't done the best job ever. The width was varying and some places the scar was hard instead of soft and smooth.

"Got that one when I was 35, or 36… Was about a year after 9/11…" Jack murmured as he looked at the scar Michelle had her fingers running over. He knew she wanted to know the story behind it.

She nodded against his other shoulder.

"Was standing a little too close when an IED exploded, a sheet of metal came flying at me and it went in…" Jack frowned as he remembered looking towards his right arm and just seeing a jagged (roughtly 10x6 inch) plate blocking his view. Of course it had embedded itself in his shoulder with the widest side. "My collarbone snapped, and the doctors who fixed me back up had a real struggle finding the end of some of the tendons that had been cut off…"

"But you don't struggle with it?" it was just between a question and a statement.

"Miraculously, no…" Jack chuckled, "They said a whole bunch of things when I first started rehab. Like… I'd never regain full strength, or -I'd get a stiff shoulder. That I wouldn't be able to raise my arm above chest height… All that stuff…"

"Well, you actually lifted me a couple of times yesterday, putting most of my weight on that shoulder because of your hand and you had to raise your arm above chest level to do so…" Michelle thought back, "I haven't seen you being careful of it or anything…"

Jack nodded, "The doctors were wrong, It took almost a year before I was able to make it back to my old squad. And it was difficult to convince my superiors that I was good enough for what was expected of my team, but after a couple of weeks they understood that my shoulder was just as good as it needed to be… -I actually had my doubts until one incident there…"

"Yeah?"

"We had rigged, -let's call it a zip line cause that was what it really was. Charlie went down first. Then Cooper. Duncan. Boxer… They all went down it without a hitch. I was next in line, and Pete would take the last 'flight'." Jack shook his head thinking back, "Halfway between the two peaks, the thing we clicked on the wire jammed on me."

"So you were stuck?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I tried swinging back and forth to loosen it, but it wouldn't budge. End of the story, I had to go hand over hand up the rope to reach the trolley. Then I had to hold myself up there with one elbow and click the trolley off the wire and poke around in it with my knife to get it to move again."

"And it worked after that?"

"Yeah, there was a small pebble lodged against one of the wheels." Jack nodded, "Anyway, that took a lot of upper body strength, and really tested my shoulder. After that I didn't really doubt my shoulder…"

Michelle traced the scar another time.

Jack pulled Michelle a little closer, and rolled over to his side, facing her. He placed his casted right hand on her left hip, gently brushing his two free fingers against her.

She wrapped her left leg around his waist, pulling their hips closer.

Jack let out a soft chuckle and rolled over further, putting his weight on his elbows as he kissed her. She wrapped her legs behind his back.

"Again?" he whispered, a smile on his lips.

Micelle kissed him and nodded, "Unless you have other plans…"

"Nope!" Jack was quick to answer, "I definitely have no other plans for the day!"

"You need help with…" Michelle bit her lip and pointed towards the nightstand where she had the condoms.

Jack nodded and sat up on his knees, holding up his casted arm and hand, "Yeah, this one is kinda useless…"

Michelle sat up and stretched out to find another condom. Jack crawled up next to her.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack kissed her lips, her cheek, her neck, her collarbone, her chest… She twisted under him. Her hands pulling on his back, her nails making red streaks down the backside of his shoulders. Her legs were hooked around the back of his thighs working in time with his thrusts.

In one quick move, Michelle managed to twist the both of them around, leaving her on top.

"Whoa… How'd you…?" Jack almost gasped staring up at her. He was amazed that such a small person, compared to himself, could pull that off.

She flashed smile, leaning over him to whisper in his ear. "I forgot to tell you I used to do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, didn't I?"

Jack nodded, his heart actually kicking it up a speed. Somehow this little piece of information made her even more thrilling to him.

He let his good hand travel up and down her side as she rode him, after a little while he moved his hand to guide her hips. It was building. And building. And building…

Michelle was arching her back, Jack's toes were curling. She was moaning, his breath was hitching. All of his muscles tightened on themselves, his mind went blank and a warm soothing feeling settled in on him. He could feel Michelle leaning down, kissing him. He kissed back clumsily.

She climbed off him, and he rolled to his side to wrap her in a hug. They were both slick with sweat, both fighting for air.

"Wow…" he breathed.

"Wow…" she agreed.

They laid in each others arms for a little while, catching their breath and cooling off.

"Let's go take a shower…" Michelle finally whispered after a few minutes, "I'm getting hungry…"

Jack had to admit both a shower and some late breakfast sounded like good ideas. "Think we definitely have deserved both…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle grinned as she helped Jack soap up his short hair with her shampoo. "You're gonna smell like roses now…"

Jack laughed, "Maybe I should buy a bottle of shampoo next time I get the chance…"

Michelle nodded as she started to lather her own hair. "We should probably do that…"

 **Okay… That was nerve-wrecking to write.**

 **Like, at work I can joke about that kind of stuff without even blushing. (I mean, I think I have a black-belt in guy talk… If I really want, I can make most of my colleagues blush.) But writing this chapter? Trying to make things sound sweet and cuddly and BOOM! How do you write stuff like this without making it either flat, perverted or boring? -HALP!?**

 **I'm gonna go hide under my bed now… Bye…**


	28. Chapter 28

**Well, thank you for all the comments! I made it out from underneath my bed eventually. –it was scary…**

Jack grinned as he tried to fry some eggs using his left hand to handle the spatula. Well, the eggs were meant to be easy-over… They ended up scrambled.

"Well, this is turning into a disaster…" Jack informed over his shoulder.

Michelle walked over from where she was cutting up bread, she looked around Jack's shoulder and studied the contents in the frying pan.

"No, that looks just fine…" Michelle answered with a kiss on Jack's right upper arm.

"This is a little easier when you do it with your dominant hand…" Jack admitted, holding up the spatula.

"I figured so…" Michelle nodded, "Lucky for you, this isn't a cooking contest…"

"Says the woman who only has HOMEMADE BREAD…" Jack turned around with raised brows, "Honestly, I've missed that bread almost as much as I've missed you and your other cooking skills…"

Michelle laughed.

"I mean it, I could probably get performance anxiety if you told me to boil water. But you're setting me to fry eggs?" Jack chuckled, "You sure know how to push a man to his limits…"

"-Are you talking about tonight? Or about culinary skills now?"

"Kitchen… Think I could have made it through a couple more rounds, just need a little time to rest up in between…"

"Well, I was pushing _my_ limit…" Michelle admitted, blushing ever so slightly. "But I sure want to do that more often…"

"Me too…" Jack winked, before returning his attention to the scrambled eggs. "I think these are done now…"

He turned the plate off and lifted the pan over to another plate. Then he opened the drawer where he knew he would find a trivet. He took hold of the trivet with the ring- and pinky finger of his right hand. The only two fingers not immobilized by the cast. And the pan with the eggs in his left hand.

Michelle placed the basket of sliced bread on the table and found a couple of glasses for them to drink from.

"Still want milk for breakfast?" she asked as she opened the refrigerator door.

"Yes please…" Jack grinned as he sat down.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As soon as they entered the gas station in look of a shampoo for Jack, they could as well look for it on their way over to her parents house, Michelle met Tina who usually worked at the grocery store. Tina was about 45, but still one of the people Michelle spent most time with outside of work.

Michelle stayed with her as Jack walked further into the gas-mart in hope of finding shampoo on a Sunday. (And they needed more milk too…)

"And who might that guy be?" Tina asked, bumping her hip into Michelle's.

"That's Jack…" Michelle blushed.

"Jack as in…?" Tina let her eyebrows bounce up and down to hint towards what she was thinking.

Michelle smiled, "Jack as in the guy who lived with me for a couple of weeks early this summer, and I probably haven't shut up about since…"

"You have talked about him a lot…" Tina agreed as she craned her neck to check out Jack's physique. "-And I see why…"

Michelle countered with a playful shove, and giggled a bit. "That's not the reason why he's on my mind pretty much all the time…"

"It is one reason…" Tina pressed, "Has to be…"

"Okay, but not the only one, okay?"

Tina laughed a bit, then nodded before turning serious. "He's good to you too?"

Michelle sobered up, and nodded.

"Because I know guys who suddenly show up with casts can be a bit of trouble…" there were no longer a teasing or playful tone in Tina's voice, "You tell me if he ever does you wrong, deal? And then you get the hell out of there…"

Michelle looked at the floor, she knew exactly what Tina was thinking about, Tina's first husband had been liked by the whole town… But behind closed doors…

The man had at times landed himself in casts, because he had been beating Tina up.

"Yes, Tina…" Michelle nodded, "I promise…"

"Good girl!" the playful tone was back again in an instant, "But let's hope my over-active brain is wrong as usual… I bet it is…"

"Yeah, I think so…" Michelle smiled softly.

"Hey, while I still remember… I'm having a BBQ-grill party tomorrow, around 5 p.m. Come if you can, and bring that new eye candy of yours along…" Tina winked, "I bet most of us would like to get to know the infamous Jack Dalton a bit better, seeing as he's got our girl all blushing and grinning…"

"We'll see, I'm still not sure if Danny can work tomorrow night."

"I'll see you if you show up…"

Michelle nodded, "It's BYOB, right?"

Tina nodded, "Yeah, easier that way. People have different tastes and all that…"

"Okay…" Michelle nodded. "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Well, look at that…" Rory chuckled as he opened the door, looking Jack over. "We've been waiting for you to show back up again! Come on in! Lorraine's cooking up some dinner, hope you guys are hungry…"

"Yeah, sure we are!" Michelle answered with a wink towards Jack, it wasn't all that long since they'd eaten breakfast. But she had realized by now that Jack could almost always eat whatever was put in front of him. –And her mom's home cooked meals would be no match to him.

Jack nodded along with her as they stepped inside.

"How does the hand feel by the way? You mentioned it when you called yesterday…" Rory asked as he nodded towards the thick cast.

"Well, good enough…" Jack shrugged, "Doesn't really bother me all too much…"

"That's good to hear, son…" Rory smiled, "And good to see that you're not even limping either."

"Yeah, that was a few notches worse than this thing…" Jack laughed as he held up his hand, "At least felt worse… But it helped as soon as they removed that screw that was bothering me, turned out it was pressing on a nerve…"

Rory frowned as he imagined what that had to feel like, "Well, let's hope you won't get hurt again for a while… But that's not really likely when you're a stuntman, now is it?"

Jack chuckled, Michelle knew his secret, but the rest of her family had been told the same lie as his family.

"No, you're bound to shed some blood and end up with a couple of scars…" Jack admitted.

 **Okay, so… I'm torn between how I want the next chapter to play out. On one hand I want to skip forward just a couple of hours… But on the other hand I want to make a scene with Jack and Michelle's family. And I haven't quite decided what to do about the BBQ the next day either… (That would be a direct result of what happens from now until then… Pretty much…)  
Guess I'll figure that out after I've started to write it…**

 **Also, anyone liked the glimpse of domestic Jack? Just another one of those little things I needed in my life…**


	29. Chapter 29

**Okay… So I managed to write another chapter… Hope it feels good.**

 **-On this one and possibly the next chapter, I think I should warn you. It may be triggering for some people. In the story it is NOW September 10** **th** **and the NEXT CHAPTER will probably be September 11** **th** **…  
-I don't have to tell you what will be going on in these chapters then, do I?**

 **Read at own risk, I guess…**

It was good, he felt like he belonged. Felt like family already. This was another home for him, he was accepted and he liked them. All of them. (Well, all those he had met until now. He still hadn't met Danny, but he figured he had to be a good guy too.)

Conversation went easy and everybody were having a good time.

They ate, they talked… They ended up drinking coffee and eating cake by the living room table.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Oh, the 8 o'clock news has started…" Rory noted as he glanced up at the clock on the wall.

Lorraine clicked the button on the remote and the television started up.

"It's September 10th and tomorrow marks the 16th anniversary of the tragic events that took place during 9/11." The reporter informed as an old video of American Airlines flight 11 crashing in to the northern tower played in the background. "It was early in the morning, Tuesday September 11th when a plane crashed into the first World Trade Center, people were just coming in to work. Just a little over 15 minutes later, the south tower was hit by another plane. Nearly 3000 people lost their lives that day"

Rory was the only one who saw how Jack suddenly paled and tensed up instantly at the sight on the TV.

"I've got to get some air…" Jack uttered barely above a whisper as he got up and quickly headed for the front porch.

 _MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016_

The sound of the plane coming in low. The way the ground trembled beneath them as they stood looking up at the unbelievable sight in front of them. A freaking plane just crashed into one of the twin towers. Jack and Charlie and every other person out in the streets of New York stood staring up at the smoke billowing out from the north tower at 08:46 in the morning. They were all equally stunned, stuff like this just don't happen.

"Holy shiiit!" Charlie gasped, he's the first one to recover enough to say anything.

"Crap!" Jack called out a second or two later, before he taps Charlie on the shoulder much harder than he actually intended, "Dude, we've got to go! We've got to help!"

Charlie nodded as they took off running towards the towers.

 _MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016_

Jack slid down along the wall outside the door, just beside the rail of the porch. He tried to fight off the images of the flaming towers, the falling bodies and all the injured and dead he saw later. His hands were shaking, it was hard to breathe.

 _MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016_

They reached the area outside the towers, people from the lower floors had started pouring out onto the street. Some were leaving the tower that hadn't been hit too. Smart thing to do.

"What's the plan Jack?"

"Help." Jack answered, looking up at the inferno. "Anyway which we can…"

Charlie nodded, their relaxing little R&R had just been cut short.

"Yesterday, did you notice easiest way to guide large masses of people away from here?" Jack asked.

"Quickest would be down there…"

"Up west street?" Jack asked, Charlie nodded. "I thought the same…"

"But there's going to be too many people…" Charlie sighed, "Best we can do is just to get them away from the building all together. Make sure they don't stop and block the way for the next one in line…"

"You're probably right about that Charlie…" Jack nodded frowning up at the now burning building.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle found Jack sitting on the corner of her parents porch, hyperventilating and covering his head with his arms.

"Jack…" she whispered, she didn't want to startle him. "Jack?"

He didn't answer, just kept on hyperventilating and cover his neck and head with his arms.

"Jack?"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The first one was mind blowing. He couldn't believe his own eyes as the first body plunged towards the ground. Couldn't believe that he had just witnessed someone ending their own life.

Through the layer of smoke and straight down to the concrete below. He just couldn't believe it.

"Don't look at it Charlie!" he called out, but Charlie was also staring up at the horrific sight, exactly as stunned as Jack felt.

"Poor souls…" the blond Californian swallowed, "They're trapped up there Jack…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"COVER!" Charlie's voice boomed from his left, and pure instincts had Jack diving for the closest piece of sturdy mass.

They both made it behind a concrete wall just as a second plane crashed into the other tower.

"Shit man! This is bad!" Charlie cried out, as various debris rained down all around them.

"YOU HAVEN'T FIGURED THAT OUT ALREADY?!" Jack screamed back.

"OF COURSE I'VE FIGURED IT OUT! I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO SAY IT!" Charlie called out.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack? Honey…" she tried again, kneeling down a few yards away. "Can you hear me?"

She wasn't quite sure if he nodded or not.

"Can you hear me?" she repeated.

That was definitely a nod.

"Is it okay if I touch you?"

He shook his head, "Not yet…"

His voice was trembling just like his hands.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"The two of us, we are Delta Force Operators…" Charlie informed both the police and fireman in charge. "Please let us help you."

Both the policeman and the firefighter had tried to usher them away, tried to get them to go to safety.

"It would be a lot safer for you to head away, like the rest of the people here."

"We want to help. Okay!" Jack almost sneered, "I get that you can't let us follow you up the buildings or anything, but let us stay here. Let us help with the wounded or something. We're both more than aqueduct with first aid!"

"He means adequate…" Charlie quickly corrected, he was amazed that someone who were fluent in as many languages as Jack still struggled with his mother tongue. In his mind he would chalk it up to some sort of dyslexia, he was pretty sure the Texan had it.

The two officials shared a look.

"Okay, but don't get too close to the buildings. We don't know how much damage there is… The structural integrity cold have been damaged. It could come down as a house of cards…" the man in charge of the firemen informed.

"We'll keep a safe distance…" Charlie answered, knowing full well that he was lying through his teeth.

The two uniform wearing men nodded.

"Okay, we'll let you stay. Just put on these vests…" the policeman sighed, pulling out two reflective vests from the closest police car. "Then we'll know it's you, and we won't guide you away…"

Jack and Charlie nodded, putting on the vests.

"Okay, see you guys later…" Jack nodded to the police and firefighter before he turned.

"We've done crazier stuff than this…" Charlie whispered under his breath looking over at Jack.

"Can't exactly remember when or what, but…" Jack shrugged, "And you know I'm going as close as possible, right?"

Charlie nodded, "Of course I knew that! I was lying so they would let us stay!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack looked up tears streaming from his eyes.

"Was it the news?" Michelle asked calmly.

Jack nodded.

"You were there that day?"

"Me and Charlie…" Jack nodded again, "The guy that…"

Jack made a pistol shape out of his left hand and held it to his mouth, "Poof…"

Michelle felt tears stinging in her eyes.

Jack wiped away a few tears with his sleeve, "We were on R&R, thought we'd see NYC…"

Michelle nodded, but didn't interrupt.

"We flew in on the Friday, 7th…" Jack cleared his voice in a hope that it wouldn't crumble even more. The weekend we spent drinking, eating at a few places we'd heard of. Charlie, you wouldn't believe the things he could eat."

"That's coming from you?" Michelle half-joked, earning herself a brief laugh from Jack.

"Yeah, that's coming from me…" Jack sniffled, "On Monday we…"

Jack fell silent.

"On the Monday you?"

"We went up the south tower. We climbed it, the stairs… All 110 floors of it. Early in the morning. Reached the top about five minutes to nine…" Jack answered as he started to shake all over again. "One day later… And…"

Michelle said nothing.

"On the Tuesday we were planning to see the Empire State Building and some other stuff." Jack squeezed his good hand as hard as he could, trying to stay in control, his knuckles cracked "We were only 300 yards away when the…"

Jack let his good hand glide through the air like a plane, before mimicking it crashing into a building.

"Oh…" Michelle said, frantically searching her brain for ways she could help Jack. But she came up empty.

"As any other operator would do, we ran towards it. After we realized what we had just seen…" Jack swallowed hard. "I think that's one of the events that has messed me up the most…"

He broke out in silent tears again.

"Right now I want to hug you, cause that's really the only kind of comfort I can offer…" Michelle whispered, looking at the older man. "Would that be okay?"

Jack pulled his shoulders up in a shrug.

"Not yet…?" she asked.

Jack nodded.

The door to the hall opened, but Michelle waved her father away. He nodded and closed the door again.

Jack pulled a deep breath, "We helped out. Almost got hit by jumping people, falling debris and airplane parts… Almost got trapped when the towers started falling too…"

Michelle kept her silence.

"After the dust had settled and all, we helped NYFD search for survivors." Jack bit out, "I remember stepping in goo… -It wasn't goo…"

Michelle shuddered as she involuntarily pictured a younger Jack Dalton stepping in what she imagined had to be a squished person.

"Neither of us slept okay for weeks after that…" Jack admitted, "Then we shipped out to Afghanistan…"

He pulled a deep breath, and let go of it slow and steady. His voice cold and controlled as he went on, "Tomorrow's 16 years since the twin towers. But there is another horrible anniversary there too… Tomorrow makes 11 years since Charlie…"

His voice broke completely at the mention of Charlie, and Michelle's heart broke with it.

She was relieved to see his guard come down and his arms spread wide, the universal sign for 'please hug me'. She crawled in closer, one knee on each side of his legs. He wrapped his arms around her, buried his face in her shoulder as the floodgates opened completely. She let her right hand run over his hair, her left hand was rubbing circles on his back.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took a full hour before Jack was able to quiet down again. Michelle's top had a big wet spot from where Jack had held his head, and she was about emptied out of tears herself too.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, finally wiping tears and snot away one last time. "I'm sorry you had to see that…"

"Don't be…" Michelle murmured, wiping away some tears of her own, "If I get you for the good times, then I'm in for the bad ones too…"

Then she bent down and placed a quick kiss on his lips.

Jack let out a shaky mess, "Great, now your family must think I'm a hot mess…"

Michelle shook her head.

"I don't think they will…" she whispered. "They'll just know you've been through some stuff…"

Jack didn't respond.

"You want to go back in? I think there's more cake left…" Michelle asked as she brushed a couple of fingers against his jaw.

"Could we just sit here for a few more minutes?" Jack asked softly.

"Of course… We'll sit here for a little while longer…"

 **Okay… So…  
Hope I didn't offend anyone with this… If I did, that certainly wasn't the meaning… **


	30. Chapter 30

**Okay… So… We all made it through the previous chapter? That's good! Great!  
Let's hope we can get through this one too!**

He couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the skyscrapers, smoke, planes. Blood. Bodies. Jumpers…

He rolled over for what must have been the eightieth time, unable to settle down.

He pushed off the bed, put his feet on the floor.

"You getting up?" Michelle mumbled, still mostly asleep.

"Yeah, can't sleep." Jack rubbed his own shoulder, "Gonna go down and lay on the floor. Maybe watch a movie…"

Michelle nodded, "You want me to come with you?"

"Nah…" Jack smiled, "Even though I have a crappy night, you don't have to have one…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure…" Jack answered and leaned over to place a kiss on Michelle's forehead. "Get some sleep for me too, will ya?"

Michelle chuckled, "I'll try…"

Jack smirked as he fished up his jeans and t-shirt, before he padded towards the hallway.

"Love you…" he whispered just before he left the bedroom.

"Love you too…" she smiled from the bed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle barely refrained from laughing the next morning when she came downstairs. The sight of her adult (and older than her) boyfriend asleep in the recliner with Disney channel playing on mute was what met her in the living room.

She couldn't resist the urge of finding her camera and snapping a picture of the situation.

She stepped closer to Jack, even in his sleep he seemed bothered. Like he wasn't getting the pure and relaxing rest he needed. But Michelle figured that unless he started making noises, she would let him sleep until he woke up by himself. For all she knew, he could have fallen asleep just 10 minutes before she got up. And the poor guy needed some rest.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A couple of hours later she heard the recliner being set back up, telling her that Jack was now awake. She stepped in to the living room, just catching the tail end of a slightly confused Jack orienting himself.

"How'd you sleep?"

"-I slept…" Jack muttered with a frown, not really answering her question, but still answering it completely.

"So…" she started, looking over at the TV-screen, "Disney Channel?"

"I couldn't get your DVD-player to work, and I didn't want to accidentally catch any more news…" Jack answered stretching his back, "Figured a kids channel would be safe…"

Michelle smiled, walked over and kissed the top of his head. "I can have breakfast ready in two minutes if you want some…"

Jack nodded as he pushed off the chair. "I'd like that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack…" Michelle started, her eyes locked on Jack's left hand. "Why are your knuckles bruised?"

Jack instinctively pulled his hand under the kitchen table, then realized it was too late for anything but the truth.

"I went for a run tonight. It didn't help…" Jack shrugged.

"And…"

"So I took a swing at your garage…" Jack sighed, "A couple of swings, actually."

"That looks painful, is it broken?"

"Nah…" Jack almost chuckled, "Just colorful…"

"Can I take a look at it? Just to ease my own mind?"

Jack nodded and held out his hand towards her.

"Make a fist…" she instructed, he did. "Straighten your fingers…"

He did, his hand and fingers trembled with the effort.

"It's shaking…" she noted with concern.

"It's a little beat up, but not broken…" Jack admitted.

"May I?" she held her own hands a couple inches from his.

"Go ahead…" he shrugged.

She gently grabbed a hold of the two fingers that had the deepest bruising, and his wrist. Then she eased pressure on to the fingers, pressing them in the direction of his hand. "How does that feel?"

"-Not broken…" he shrugged.

"You sure?"

Jack nodded and held up his right arm with the cast on. "I know what fractures feels like, remember?"

"I have to admit, you're a little stupid… You know that right?" Michelle shook her head as she pressed gently directly at his knuckles, catching him flinch out of the corner of her eye. "That hurt?"

"Stings…" Jack answered, "Because of the bruise…"

Michelle nodded.

"I know it was stupid…" Jack admitted, "But I needed something to take my mind off… Everything… -You know…"

Michelle nodded, and started brushing her fingers against the inside of his palm.

"It was one of those inside vs. outside pains thing… I've always been better at the latter…" Jack shrugged, then he looked back down at their hands, "That right there feels really good by the way…"

Michelle flashed a brief smile, "Does it happen often?"

"What?"

"Inside vs. outside?"

"Sometimes…" Jack shrugged, "Usually it helps to go for a run… Get physically tired…"

Michelle nodded and wrapped her hands around Jack's left hand, her thumbs stroking against it in a soothing and comforting way.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack felt his heart swell up as Michelle kept on holding his good hand. Just the simple way she wrapped his big hand in her small ones felt so natural, so much like a home. Not like a home with four walls and doors and windows, but like _home_ … Like where you belong, where he belonged.

He didn't want her to ever let go. He wanted to stay like that, right there, forever.

"What do you say we both stay home tonight?" Michelle whispered in a soft, caring voice. "I could bake something, we could watch a comedy or something?"

"Didn't I hear that friend you met at the gas-mart yesterday invite you to a BBQ tonight…?" Jack raised his eyebrows at her.

"Well, she did. But I bet I could have just as fun here at home with you…" Michelle smiled and kissed his swollen knuckles.

"We could still go…" Jack tilted his head to look up at her.

"You sure?"

"We could make a safe-word. You know… If I need to get outta there…" Jack shrugged, "We could still go…"

"We don't have to…"

"I kinda want to…" Jack winked, "It could take my mind off of… You know…"

Michelle nodded, "Okay, but only if you really mean it…"

Jack nodded.

"What do you think our safe-word should be?" She inquired.

Jack shrugged.

"What about cactus, or cacti?"

Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, cause that's really inoculant…"

"Inconspicuous?"

"Yeah, that one…" Jack blushed. Then he looked down at his casted hand, "Or maybe we could just go with the easiest thing… I'll just say that my arm's hurting… At least that wouldn't be weird…"

Michelle nodded, "That's actually a good idea…"

"Then we go for that?" Jack looked at her, "If I need to leave, for whatever reason…"

"-You'll just let me know your arm is bothering you…" Michelle finished for him. "Yeah, we'll do it like that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As soon as it was 1 p.m. Jack picked up his phone and dialed one of the numbers he knew by heart. One of those real important ones.

It rang three times before the other guy picked up.

"Jack? Hey!"

"Hey Coop…" Jack swallowed the lump in his throat, it always formed before this call. "Hanging on?"

A shaky laugh came over the phone, "About as well as you'd expect…"

"Got friends around you, or something to do?" Jack asked, knowing that either one would help the giant blond.

"Yeah, I've got Duncan here…" Cooper answered. "And we're shooting hoops…"

"That's good." Jack relaxed a bit. "It's a hell of a day, isn't it?"

Cooper agreed.

Jack leaned back where he sat on the porch, he had gone out to make the call in private.

"Hey, boss…?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you called…" Cooper sighed, "Glad you called today…"

 _Glad he didn't have to…_

"Hey, of course I'm calling…" Jack bit his lip, "You call me all the other days when something might be messing with my head, this is the one day you shouldn't have to call."

"Thank you…" Cooper choked out, before he cleared his voice as best he could. "This day has a habit of getting in my head…"

"I know…" Jack nodded, "Has a habit of getting in my head too…"

They tried to stay away from the particular subject of Charlie on this day. They both thought about him while talking to each other, but they tried not to mention him, knowing it would tear them both apart. Especially on this day.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They had talked for over an hour, about everything and nothing when Cooper suddenly changed and his voice almost went back his usual quick and easy tone. "Boss, are you in LA now?"

"Nah, I'm in Texas…" Jack shrugged, "Healing up after the last mission…"

"Texas? Really?"

"Yeah…"

"You see, me and Dunc and Pete, we're thinking about taking a trip to visit Boxer…" Cooper explained, his voice not as blue and heavy as it had been the previous hour. "Would be awesome if you could make it there too…"

"When?"

"Tomorrow, but now that we know you're not in LA we'll probably be staying the rest of the week…" Cooper said, "Ain't all that long from you to Boxer, now is it?"

"Nah, that's not far. We used to ride our bikes back and forth before we got our licenses…" Jack answered, "But I'm in Sealy now, and that's about a 5 hour drive…"

"Sealy?"

"Yeah, I'm with Michelle…" Jack actually grinned.

"Michelle, like the perfect girl you met on Memorial Day?"

"The one and only…" Jack smiled.

"She's still perfect?" not a question, but an assumption.

"She's even better than I thought…" Jack admitted, "But I'll try to make it over to Boxer, it would be awesome to see the rest of you. It's been too long…"

"It sure has…" Cooper agreed, "But you said you were healing up, what have you done this time?"

"Broke my hand and wrist…" Jack sighed.

"Ohhhh… Hands. Painful…" Cooper audibly grimaced at the other end of the line, "Remember that winch?"

Jack frowned.

"I remember Pete had to put a pressure bandage over the cut you got. And you were close to clubbing him down because it hurt so damned much. The next day we all understood why, cause when you had X-rays taken of it they saw no less than three fractures…" Jack shuddered, "Pete applying that bandage had to be another level of pain…"

"Not something I'd like to do again…" Cooper admitted, "But it made a pretty sweet scar…"

"Well, I've always heard that chicks dig scars…" Jack shrugged.

"So _that's why_ you've got so many of them…" Coop teased.

"Bingo…" Jack joked back. "So, you're on leave?"

"Yeah, we've got a few weeks off. Figured we should take a trip around…"

"Good, sounds fun…"

"We thought it might be…" Cooper answered.

"But hey, I've got this grill party Michelle's friend invited us to, and I've got to get ready soon…" Jack sighed, "Are you good? I don't need to worry about you until I see you some time this week?"

"I'm good boss…" Cooper swallowed, "I'm good, Dunc is too. You?"

"Yeah, I'm keeping my head above water…" Jack nodded.

"That's good to hear, brother…" Cooper said in return, "See you soon."

"Yeah, you will!" Jack bit down on his bottom lip again, trying to keep his tears at bay.

Then they ended the call.

 **Okay, I will have to put the grill party in its own chapter. Because I really wanted to post this today, and I'm tired AF.**

 **Gib, I'm still playing in the corner of your sandbox, hope you don't mind… XD**


	31. Chapter 31

**Hello my darlings! Think I've had a pretty good streak with roughly a chapter a day… Haha…**

 **Gonna have to try to keep that up, right?  
-I can't always do that, but I'll try… -Okay?**

"Hey, you okay?" Michelle asked as she looked over at the strained expression on Jack's face.

"Yeah…" he let out an unsteady chuckle, "We might have to reconsider that safe-word phrase of ours…"

"Why?"

"Cause my hand is throbbing…" Jack lifted his right hand to emphasize the point. "And I don't mean like, 'I'd like to go home instead…'"

"But like you might need to mention it later in case you need to go to the car to get something for it… You should take something now too…"

"Yeah, you're probably right…" Jack nodded and opened the glove box. He had placed a few pills in a small container there too, just in case.

"Easy, you say your arm is hurting, then I'll know it's a bigger deal and that you'll need more than just a little pill or something… If you say your hand or wrist is hurting, then it is because of the reason for the cast…" Michelle shrugged.

Jack looked over at her and smiled, "That's easy…"

Michelle nodded, "Doesn't always have to be hard, you know…"

Jack nodded and placed his cast covered arm in the window to have it elevated for a little while. "No, it doesn't…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Tina smiled as she saw Michelle's car turning up her driveway. Her smile widened when she saw the man beside her in the passenger seat.

"I'm so glad you could make it! The both of you!" she grinned as they made it out of the car.

Tina hugged Michelle, looking her over.

"That dress is beautiful!" she awed as she spun Michelle around to get a look of all the details.

"I think so too…" Jack nodded along, his voice was still a little tight against the actual pain in his hand. The painkiller he had taken a few minutes earlier hadn't started to help just yet. "But of course, any dress would be beautiful on her."

Tina nodded. "And you, jeans and a t-shirt in this heat?"

Jack shrugged, "Didn't really need to have anybody see my legs, a couple years as a professional stuntman and… I just thought y'all didn't need to see all those scars…"

Tina looked down at his jeans, then back up at his face with a slightly pitying expression. "Hey, we're all friends here. You don't have to go out of your way to shelter us…"

Jack nodded, "I'll consider shorts the next time…"

"So, stuntman… Huh?" Tina asked as she looked him over, yet another time. "Is that how you hurt your arm?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, we had this fight sequence… I was throwing a punch, other guy forgot the order we were doing things in. He was supposed to go to his right, he went left. Fist against skull. Fist lost. And then the third guy did his job, throwing me over his shoulder and I landed on my freaking wrist… So…"

Jack held up his cast to show it off.

"I'm taking a break from both of my jobs while this thing heals…"

"Both jobs?" Tina raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm a part of LAPD too…" Jack shrugged, knowing that if anybody actually searched, they would find him. Phoenix, well DXS at the time, had made sure of that.

Tina nodded. "Well, find yourselves somewhere to sit."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They had been there for a couple of hours and it was going good, great actually. This day always sucked, but it often got a little better _after_ he had talked to Coop. All the events of this day still flickered across his mind, in rapid pictured, but he felt like he was in control of it. Like he wouldn't break down at any moment, or any mention of it.

And he was partially thankful that he could put the blame on the painkillers when he declined the offered beers and other alcoholic beverages. He didn't need to repeat Memorial Day… -The drinking part at least…

The food was perfect too.

"Remember what day it is today?" one of the guys asked after the latest topic had run dry, looking around at the others.

Michelle looked at Jack quickly, anxious to see how he would react. She figured it would be for the best to let Jack handle this on his own. He didn't need her to blow all this out of proportions if he could handle it himself.

"9/11…" Another guy nodded.

Michelle kept watching Jack, anticipating something like what had happened the evening before. It throwing him off balance and leaving him repeating the whole deal.

"Guys…" Jack finally drawled, his voice as calm as ever. "We're having a good time here… Let's not bring up that tragedy…"

"It was a real tragedy…" Tina agreed, "It shook the whole nation, whole world actually… I've always felt so sorry for those who witnessed it first hand…"

Jack visibly swallowed and clenched his good hand, his voice suddenly weighed down by his attempt to stay in control of his emotions. "And those who were there might not like to be reminded of it… Especially on this day…"

If anybody had been watching, they would have seen realization hit the group like a truck. A few of the guys had their mouths hanging agape, a few of the women covered their mouths with their hands.

"You…" the guy who had first brought it up started.

Jack nodded, "Can we just stay off that topic, please?"

"Of course…" another person answered, quickly coming up with another topic, "I heard the fifth grade teacher is doing the janitor…"

The comment caused all of the locals to chuckle.

"They're married, Paul…" Tina shook her head laughing, causing Jack to see the humor in it too. Causing him to let his guard down and a smile to come to his face again.

"Still heard they were doing each other…" Paul chuckled. "Made y'all laugh, didn't I?"

Jack had to admit, it had lightened the mood in an instant. Now he just needed to take care of one single little thing.

He got up and patted Michelle on the shoulder, leaning down to kiss her cheek quickly causing a few of the ladies to aww at gesture. Then he whispered into her ear, "I'm going to the car a bit, gotta find something for my hand…"

"Is it bothering you?"

"Just a bit, haven't been a good boy when it comes to keeping the thing up and resting the last couple of days… 's all…"

Michelle wrapped her arm around the back of Jack's neck, pulling him down to place a kiss on his cheek in return.

"Just let me know if you need to get home…" she then whispered.

"Nah… It's just my hand…" Jack winked back, "Rest of the arm is fairly good…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Did we scare him off?" Morgan, the guy who had made the mistake of bringing up the 9/11 subject asked after Jack had walked around the corner.

Michelle shook her head, "No, he just needed to get something for his hand…"

"It's fairly fresh?" Tina asked.

"About a week…" Michelle shrugged looking towards the corner where Jack had disappeared, "And he's about as good at taking it slow as you'd expect of a stuntman…"

 **Not the longest chapter, I know… Sorry for that…  
-But at least it's something…**


	32. Chapter 32

**Another short-ish chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy!**

"Good to get home?" Michelle asked as they walked up the stairs to her front door.

Jack nodded.

"Wanna go straight to bed?" Michelle asked, bumping into Jack's upper arm.

Jack shrugged, "Think I'll end up sleeping to Disney tonight too… But I could always cuddle a bit first…"

Michelle couldn't help but laugh. "We could cuddle on the couch… Watch a rom-com or something…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

An hour later Jack had fallen asleep between Michelle's legs. His head rested up against her stomach and his left arm draped over her left knee. He had one leg bent up on the couch and the other one stretched out on the corner of her coffee table.

Soft snores rolled off of him every now and then. And he was totally relaxed up against her.

Michelle stayed awake for the rest of the movie, before she too fell asleep on the couch. One arm over Jack's right shoulder, one along the top of the couch supporting her own head.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle smiled when she woke up the next morning to find a still sleeping Jack in front of her. That meant that if he had struggled with nightmares tonight, they hadn't been bad enough to keep him up. And you had to take all the victories you could, even the small ones.

It took another half hour before Jack started to come around.

"Morning handsome…" she whispered as he started blinking his vision clear.

"Hey…" Jack winced as the light from the lamp nearby was too bright for him. "What time is it?"

"I don't know…" Michelle said as she looked towards the window, "But the sun is up…"

"We slept like this tonight?"

"Yeah…" Michelle nodded.

"Damn, I didn't crush you, did I?" Jack looked up with a slightly concerned look, "You can't have had a good night…"

"You didn't crush me…" Michelle chuckled, "And I slept just fine, woke up a few minutes before you, that's all…"

"You sure?"

Michelle nodded against the top of his head. A few minutes, half an hour… What was the difference? "And you? Did you get some sleep?"

Jack nodded and rubbed sleep out of his eyes with his left hand. "Yeah, caught some solid Zs…"

"That's good…" Michelle smiled and started to stroke her fingers over his chest.

"How are your plans for the rest of the week?"

"Why?"

"Just wondering…" Jack shrugged, "Cooper, and pretty much the rest of my old squad are back in my hometown now. Just wondered if you had a day or three off to meet them?"

"Well, the plan was to work Wednesday through Sunday, but I'm sure either Danny or dad can take those shifts too…" Michelle shrugged. "And I think I've worked enough the last six-seven years to allow myself a lot of time off now that Danny has started working for me…"

"You don't have to if it causes you trouble…" Jack added.

"Hey, a chance to meet your old buddies? I'd do a lot more than to simply text my brother and dad if either one of them could take an extra shift or two for that…" Michelle kissed the top of his head, "But now you have to let me get out of here. Nature calls."

Jack chuckled and sat up, allowing Michelle to get to the bathroom.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"A few extra shifts this week?" Danny asked with a serious expression as he was rubbing a hand over his stubbles. "Let me think about that for a minute sis…"

Jack and Michelle were at the bar. Michelle had to take care of some delivery orders and some other boss-lady stuff, and since they were already there she figured she could ask.

Danny broke out in a huge grin and winked at her, "Of course! You know I told you I would like to work as much as possible, right…"

"Thank you! You're an angel!" Michelle smiled.

"Hey, just trying to keep my boss happy with me…" Danny smirked back, "So, any plans?"

"Roadtrip…" Michelle smiled, "Jack here might just show me off to some friends, and maybe I get to meet your mama too?"

Jack grinned, "Well, if you think you're up for it…"

"Of course, she's not scary is she?"

"One of the three ladies on this earth I'm afraid of…" Jack chuckled.

"One of three?" Danny chuckled, "Who's the other two?"

"My boss, Matty. She looks harmless, but she's anything but…"

"And the third one?"

Jack stuck his thumb Michelle's way.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you've got a pretty tight hold around my heart." Jack drawled as he looked over, "I love it, but it's scary as hell…"

"Wise man you've found yourself sis…" Danny chuckled as he went back to wiping off glasses.

"But you don't have to worry about ma, she'll adore you." Jack bumped his arm into Michelle's. "She might pull a joke about you having a concussion, since you're dating me… But she'll adore you to bits."

Michelle laughed, "You really think she'll say something like that?"

Jack shook his head, "No, but one of my sisters might…"

"Not your brother?"

"He's in California… But he might say something along the lines when he finally gets to meet you…" Jack chuckled.

"Well, at least I feel like I won the lottery…" Michelle winked and let her leg brush up against his.

"No… I was the lucky one…" Jack smiled back.

 **Okay… I almost wrote** ** _"Well, at least I feel like I hit Jackpot…"_** **which in my mind was 100 times too cheesy for this world…**


	33. Chapter 33

**Oh, hey there! Still reading? Wow…**

They had been listening to a country station for the past 170 miles. Michelle sang along to almost everything the station played, old and new country music, didn't matter. Jack sang along with the classics, and a couple of Luke Bryan songs, for the rest of the time he enjoyed listening to the music and Michelle. She wasn't exactly cut out for a career as a solo-artist, but she could sing. And for a road trip sing-along her talent was more than enough.

At a quarter to ten they stopped to fuel up at a gas station. Jack had been driving for a little more than two and a half hours, and it would do them both good to stretch their legs a little.

Michelle got out of the truck a little after Jack. She stretched her back until it made an audible pop, then looked over at Jack. "You want me to drive the rest of the way?"

Jack shrugged as he picked up the gas pump nozzle, "Sure, if you want to…"

She nodded and looked inside the truck, behind her seat she caught sight of a something blue with white edges. Curiosity got the better of her, and she picked it up. A sling.

"Jack…" she sighed and stepped to the side so that she could look straight at him. A sliver of judgment in her voice, "Should you be wearing this thing?"

Jack looked up and saw her holding up the sling.

"No, that was just for the first few days…" Jack smiled back, "Doc said I could toss it away as soon as I felt good enough to do so…"

Michelle planted her left hand on her hip, still holding the sling with her right. "You mentioned that you hadn't kept your arm up enough the last couple of days…"

"Relative…" Jack smirked, "Not been good enough at it to get by without any painkillers, but I haven't done anything that will bring its own punishment… And I'm better today…"

Michelle looked between the sling and Jack a few times. "You sure?"

Jack nodded.

"And you're not lying to me right now…?"

"Cross my heart…" Jack nodded.

Michelle nodded and folded the sling up neatly, before she placed it in the back of the old Silverado again. "But there's no shame of picking it back up again if it starts to bother you… You know that…?"

Jack nodded, "I know that, that's why I brought it with me to your place…"

"Okay…"

"But I might want to put it back on when we meet my mom, she's really strict when it comes to care after injuries…" Jack's lips formed a tight line. "She had a rough time raising me…"

"Nah… I bet you were one of the sweetest kids ever…" Michelle tried to keep a serious face, but failed miserably at the attempt.

"See? You can't even say it without breaking!" Jack laughed, "I was trouble… If I didn't find it, it found me…"

"Well, lucky for you this girl's got a soft spot for a hell raisin' boy…"

"You're quoting country songs now?" Jack laughed, "So what are you? Just waiting to have two more just like me?"

Michelle leaned against the bed of the pickup truck, a big grin on her face. "I think it's called paraphrasing…"

Jack just looked at her, hoping that she would answer his second question.

She didn't, she just winked at him and pushed off the side of the Chevy. Then she headed inside.

Jack bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. Humming the next bit of that song. _'It takes an angel to raise a family…'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle chuckled to herself as she found a bottle of soda for each of them. It sure wouldn't be the worst thing to ever happen if they had two more just like him, or five in total… Maybe one or two just like her too…

-But that belonged to the future. Even though it felt like they had known each other for all of their lives, they had actually known each other for LESS than six months. Talking babies right now might be to rush things. (But then again, Jack seemed to be living life faster than his angels could fly…)

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"You're not gonna answer that question, are you?" Jack smirked as he caught up with her after filling up the tank.

She shook her head with a mischievous little grin. "Nope…"

He chuckled and trapped her in the corner of his left arm, placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered, "You're planning on ever answering that question?"

She nodded, "I have the answer already…"

"But you won't tell me…"

"Yet…" Michelle chuckled and left a quick kiss on his cheek in return.

Jack laughed and shook his head. "You're cute…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

20 miles later Jack sat in the passenger seat of his first car, and looked over at a short Texan girl who would definitely be the end of him. At least if his poor heart wouldn't settle down soon.

He looked at her hands on the steering wheel. She had a thin leather bracelet around her right wrist, but otherwise there were nothing on them.

He looked down at his own hands. A wrist watch on one hand and a cast on the other (-usually a cuff around that one).

He smirked and looked over at Michelle again. She was currently singing along to Miranda Lambert's 'Automatic' as she easily handled the stick shift of the old car.

Jack had to admit, it was comfortable to be a passenger. He didn't have to struggle with the shifting. On his way down to Sealy on the Saturday, he had got the old truck up to speed and put it in 3rd, he had pressed the truck a couple of times, not really wanting to have to use his right arm to coax the transmission into a lower gear. Shifting gears had gone a little better today (even without painkillers), but he had still pressed the car a couple of times when traffic had been slow. –Hoping that the engine wouldn't stall.

A girl who could put up with him, could drive his old truck like a queen, bake, cook and sing… Maybe he would have to put a ring on that someday.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Take a left here…" Jack instructed, pointing down the beat-up dirt road.

Michelle nodded and turned down that road. "How far?"

"Couple of miles…" Jack shrugged.

"So this is where 'Boxer' lives?" Michelle asked, casting a glance over at Jack to check if she had remembered the right name, or nickname, she wasn't quite sure.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, Boxer lives down this road. If we'd driven a little further and taken the next right, we would have driven to my mom's place.

"Idyllic…" Michelle smiled as she scanned the landscape.

Jack nodded in agreement, "Had a lot of fun around here when we were kids. Did a few things we should be glad the cops didn't catch us doing too…"

Michelle looked over again, "Like what?"

"Well, speeding for one thing… We drove long before we got our license… In town there's this water tower, we climbed up and painted it our high school colors… Well, I climbed it, Boxer brought the paint and Nick kept watch…"

Michelle chuckled.

"Okay, see that barn coming up down there?"

Michelle nodded.

"That's where we're going…" Jack smiled.

Michelle let out a shaky breath, "And suddenly I'm a little nervous…"

"Don't be…" Jack smiled reassuringly, "They're not dangerous…"

Michelle looked at him with raised eyebrows, "These were your Delta buddies, right?"

"Okay, they can be dangerous… -If they have to…" Jack nodded, "But they'll likely treat you like a little sister, straight away…"

"You sound very sure of yourself…"

Jack nodded. "I know at least one of them have made up his mind about you already…"

"Already? He hasn't met me yet…"

"No, but I still think Cooper has decided you're on his 'protect-at-all-costs-list'…" Jack smiled, "That's a good list to be on…"

Michelle nodded as she slowed the car to a stop between a newer model minivan and an old Bronco.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Before they had made it out of the car, four men had spilled out of the white painted house.

Cooper. Duncan. Pete. Boxer.

"BOSS!" Cooper practically whooped as he took three long strides across the gravel to meet them.

"Wow, where in the hell did he find you!" Cooper smiled as Michelle made it out from between the cars. "On second thought, where in _heaven_ did he find you? He told me you were pretty, but then again… Boss here has never been an artist with words…"

Michelle blushed and looked down at her boots. "Well, thank you!"

"I'm Cooper, by the way… Nice to meet you!" he smiled as he extended his hand.

"Michelle…" Michelle smiled back as she shook Coop's hand. "Nice to meet ya too!"

"Aww, come on…" Cooper smiled, "You're gonna be family soon enough, how about a hug instead…?"

Before Michelle really had the chance to answer, she was wrapped in Cooper's big arms. As he let her go, Michelle laughed.

"I see what you meant…" she smiled over at Jack.

Jack nodded in return.

"What?"

"Oh, I just tried to ease her mind, saying that you had already decided you liked her…" Jack explained.

Cooper winked, "Of course!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Duncan, Pete and Boxer stood back and watched as the tallest team member greeted their old boss and the girl.

"Look how small she is next to Coop…" Duncan whispered, to the two others.

"I'm small next to Cooper…" Pete shrugged, "Actually, pretty much all of us are small next to Coop…"

Boxer nodded in agreement to that statement.

"Maybe one of us should save her from that giant puppy before he scares her off?" Pete whispered with a small smile tugging on his lips.

"Nah… She's got to have guts to keep up with old Wyatt… She'll handle this…" Boxer grinned.

"But we might have to rescue him soon…" Duncan chuckled knowing what was coming for Jack in just a short while.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"And you…" Cooper directed his attention towards Jack, "Are you all banged up, or is it just the right wing?"

"Just the wing…"

And before Jack knew it, he was too wrapped in a bear hug.

"Okay-okay!" Jack gasped, "Need. Air."

Cooper released Jack just as the three remaining Delta's made it down to the group.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After a short round of introductions, Boxer led them through the house and to the backyard.

"Beers in the cooler, there's a bed made up for everyone…" Boxer said as he grabbed himself a cold one and tossed once over to Pete who had already taken a seat. "Dunc and Coop, you will have to fight each other to figure out who takes the couch and who takes the last bed…"

"Don't challenge them…" Pete chuckled, "They just might!"

Jack grinned and grabbed two beers. Then he led Michelle over to the two chairs next to Pete.

"So…" Jack started, looking at Pete, "You're walking pretty good. Can barely see that you're limping…"

Pete chuckled, "Actually, that's the wrong leg…"

"Huh?"

"Twisted my ankle trying to keep up with Randy and Gary…" Pete chuckled as he raised his left leg and pulled up the hem of his jeans enough to show the ace-bandage wrapped around his ankle.

"The twins, right?"

Pete nodded, "Man, I feel like I'm living in the middle of you and Box's childhood stories… You won't believe where we found them last Thursday…"

"Where…?"

"On top of our garage… Ready to test if they could fly…" Pete chuckled. "They're 8…"

Jack chuckled. "And just how stressed out did you get?"

"Not as much as my wife…" Pete ran a hand down his face, "But I sure didn't like it then. Now it's just a fun story to tell…"

Jack nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Okay, so the old MacGyver'ed barrel fire pit and grill we had back in the sandbox has been changed out with a real fire pit…" Boxer said as he sat down on the opposite side, and kicked his legs up on the circular wall of bricks.

Cooper looked at it, "You made that?"

"Yeah…" Boxer grinned.

"Looks really nice Claude…" Michelle grinned, looking at the fire pit.

"Who?" Pete scrounged up his nose.

Jack and Boxer laughed in unison at Pete's confused expression.

"Box…" Jack answered, still chuckling, "Seriously, you don't remember Boxer's first name?"

Pete looked over at Boxer, "No. Sorry… I forgot…"

Boxer was still laughing too hard to respond.

"I remembered that you have a middle name on 'M'… But you and Jack won't tell us what the heck is!" Pete chuckled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. A nervous chuckle rolling off of him.

"Yeah, that is top secret…" Box laughed and winked towards Jack, who in turn gave his old pal one thumb up.

"What?" Michelle whispered towards Jack as soon as Pete and Boxer had quieted down enough for Jack to possibly hear her quiet whisper.

"Oh, err… Box here has just gone by his last name since first dawn…" Jack shrugged, "Sometimes even I have to search my mind to come up with his _first_ name… And we grew up together…"

"But not his middle name?"

Jack shook his head, "No… That one is impossible to forget…"

"Can you tell me?"

Jack shook his head, "No, old promise… Think we were in kindergarten when I made it…"

"So it's really secret…?"

Jack nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So, professional curiosity…" Pete cleared his voice and leaned over to study Jack's cast, "What's up with that club of yours?"

"Two metacarpals, wrist end of the radius and two bones inside my wrist…" Jack answered as he held the cast towards Pete, "You're not getting me to say the names of those, but one sounded like it belonged at a circus…"

Pete laughed, "Trapezium or Trapezoid then…"

"Sounds about right…" Jack nodded.

"Probably took out your Scaphoid too then…" Pete looked up for Jack to confirm or deny his assumption.

Jack shrugged, "Probably, one of them started with 'S'…"

Pete mentally went through the structure of a wrist and nodded, "Yeah, that's the only bone in there that starts with an 'S'…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So you and Jack have been friends since you were kids?" Michelle asked Boxer.

He nodded, "Yeah, me and old Wyatt there, we've raised a lot of hell together…"

Michelle chuckled, "He was a wild child, huh?"

Box nodded. "Yeah… -If you ever want to hear some crazy stories about that guy, I'm the man to ask…"

Michelle grinned, "Like what?"

"Has he told you about the time he tried to Evel Knievel it across the last real ditch you probably passed on your way over here?"

"That big one, just south of where we turned up this road?"

Boxer nodded.

"No…"

"Well, Wyatt had this motorcycle. That thing went through hell, ended its days under a Mack truck later on, but that's another story…" Box started. "We had rigged up this ramp for some other stunt we pulled a few weeks earlier, so we figured that should use it again. You know… Recycle…"

Michelle nodded.

"Anyway… He drives towards it. Full throttle. He goes up the ramp…" Boxer explained as he mimicked the motorcycle going up with his hand. "Our calculations were maybe a little bit short of perfect. Non existent to be exact… He almost made it across…"

Michelle tried not to laugh, but it was impossible when she looked at Boxer's expression.

"He almost made it across…"

Box nodded, "Yeah, crashed pretty hard. I don't remember if he really injured himself, but the jump was an epic fail!"

Jack looked over, "What are we talking about?"

"1st Meryl's ditch jump…"

Jack grimaced, "Yeah… Ow…"

"Did you get hurt back then?"

"Not really, but I spent a good couple of hours fixing my bike afterwards…"

"1st Meryl's ditch jump…? Does that mean there's more?"

Boxer nodded.

"Wyatt jumped that ditch four times." He shrugged, "Second and third jump were successful…"

"But not the first and fourth?"

"No, the fourth made him decide not to try to jump that ditch anymore…"

"So the fourth one hurt then…?"

Boxer nodded. "Collarbone and the bone in his thigh… His parents scolded us so bad when they met the three of us at the hospital."

"I see that, it was a dangerous stunt to pull…"

"No… That wasn't the reason…" Boxer grinned, "We weren't old enough to actually ride our motorcycles… But you know… Small town… We were 13 or 14…"

Michelle cast a quick glance over at Jack, who had resumed talking to Pete. "How the heck is that guy still alive?"

"More lives than a litter of kittens is my guess…" Box shrugged.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A few hours later, the circle was illuminated by the fire pit in the center. Country music played low from a radio Boxer had placed in a window nearby.

Cooper and Duncan had taken the seats on either side of Michelle, intent on getting to know her better.

"So…" Dunc shrugged, "How did Jack find you?"

"He hobbled into my bar…" Michelle blushed.

"Your bar?" Coop raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I own a roadhouse…"

The two Delta Operators shared a quick look. Both equally impressed.

"You work at a bar?"

"Work there, own it and run it…" Michelle nodded.

"You're tiny!" Coop noted, "What do you do when customers start to make trouble?"

"They usually don't, but I have a bouncer just in case…" Michelle shrugged.

Cooper smiled, satisfied that Jack's tiny girlfriend wasn't all alone when she worked at the bar. "So you're a pretty tough girl… Have to be right?"

Michelle shrugged, she didn't really think as herself as tough.

"What made you open up a bar anyway?" Duncan asked, "There must've been things that you wanted more?"

Michelle nodded, "I'm actually a nurse. I just inherited the bar when my dad figured he was too old to run it 7 nights a week…"

"A nurse? You're kidding?" Coop grinned.

"No, why?"

"If you ever get tired of that you should move out west and take care of the boss full time, work for the medical staff at the organization Jack's with…"

Michelle blinked a few times, trying to connect the dots. "You know that I know a little?"

"Jack and I talk…" Coop nodded.

Michelle smirked, "I'm kinda tired of the bar life, I'll have to admit that…"

Coop and Duncan leaned in closer, both of them were smiling like fools. "Are you saying…?"

Michelle shook her head, "No… Not saying anything yet. I can't just leave the roadhouse. Too many people who depend on it, no matter how bad that sounds…"

Coop's shoulders slumped a bit.

"-But I sure would like to start working as a nurse again… So who knows…"

"Well, Coop and I discussed this. And we agreed that you're family, and you're obviously doing that man right there good…" Duncan smiled as he pointed at Jack, "So… You mind being invited to more stuff like this?"

Michelle laughed, reflection of bonfire sparkling in her eyes, "As long as you don't mind getting invited to birthdays and stuff like that, if you're stateside…"

"Dalton! Marry this girl!" Duncan called out across the fire.

"-Yeah, hurry up man!" Cooper agreed.

"Give it a little time," Michelle laughed, blushing. "We don't need to rush this…"

Jack smiled.

 **Okay… So…  
You feel like I'm teasing you or what?  
In that case… "Sorry… -Not sorry!"**


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay… Back at it again…**

 **Gib. I don't know if I totally missed the characters here… In that case, sorry… (Actually sorry…)**

The next morning Jack and Michelle were woken up by a couple of people pounding on the door of the guest bedroom they borrowed.

"Is it safe to come in?!" one of the guys outside called, no shock it was Cooper.

Jack looked at Michelle, who hastily pulled on a t-shirt. She nodded. Jack had warned her something like this could happen.

"Yeah, sure!"

The two guys spilled into the room, and dumped down at the end of the bed.

"Good morning!" Duncan beamed, handing a cup of coffee over to Jack, Cooper had a cup for Michelle.

"Had a good night?" Cooper asked, directing a smirk at Jack and Michelle.

"Yeah…" Michelle nodded. "What a nice surprise, coffee in bed…"

"Is there chili powder in it, or something?" Jack eyed his cup suspiciously. He didn't really think there would be anything wrong with it, but a little caution never hurt anybody.

"Nothing funny about it, I promise…" Cooper held his hands up, palms forward.

"Just a kind gesture." Duncan nodded, before he stood back up, "But I've got to find something to wipe up that coffee I spilled on that table outside…"

Jack chuckled as he smelled the coffee, it sure smelled like regular coffee. Smelled good and strong. He took a sip.

"Good coffee, Coop…" he nodded after he had swallowed. "You have a good night?"

Cooper stretched, and his back cracked and popped all along his spine. "Yeah… Was a good couch…"

"Dunc won?" Jack furrowed his brows.

"More like, I let him win…" Cooper shrugged. Then he looked at Michelle, "How much do you actually know?"

"She heard you talking about 'rest of the Delta's' one of the times you called me and I was with her…" Jack answered for her when Michelle got that deer-in-headlights look, "She knows she's got a lot of Delta Operators around her right now…"

Michelle nodded.

"Okay. Good." Coop smiled, "Well, last assignment… Dunc got thrown around pretty good. Not as bad as in Pete's last mission, but still…"

"But he's not limping… Can't be that bad…" Jack shrugged.

"No-no… Both his legs and his back is fine…" Coop cast a glance towards the door, "But his left shoulder is one big bruise."

"Is it bad enough to sideline him?"

"What do you think?" Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Would have been…? -If he wasn't so damned stubborn…"

Cooper nodded. "He's getting some movement back in it now, but I still haven't seen him raise his arm above shoulder level… He compensates for it, uses that trick you used for a good while after that…"

Cooper pointed to the big scar across the front of Jack's right shoulder.

"And what trick was that?" Michelle looked between the men.

"Whenever we weren't actively using our guns, or otherwise in need of our hands, Jack would assume _this_ position…" Cooper said as he folded his arms over his chest, his left hand cupping his right elbow and supporting the limb.

"Hey. I was good enough to fight."

"Were you really?"

Jack nodded.

Coop stared down at him. "Really?"

"My shoulder was solid." Jack shrugged, "The muscles just tired up quickly when I didn't support it. But I had the strength and I could shoot."

Cooper sighed, "You're just going to ignore the fact that you had to duct tape a couple folded up t-shirts over that shoulder to shield you from the shoulder strap of your backpack, or the kick of your rifle…"

Jack kneaded his right shoulder, pressing his thumb thoroughly down on the hard parts of the scar. "That was just to spread out the pressure a little… When the scar was fresh it felt like it bruised easily… -But I didn't see Dunc favoring his arm…"

"Just keep a look out today, you'll see…" Cooper sighed.

They left the topic altogether as they heard Duncan coming back up the stairs.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"There, no more coffee on the table…" Dunc smiled as he stepped back inside and tossed the paper towels in the bin in the corner.

He walked over to the free corner of the bed, sat down and folded his arms just like Cooper had described.

Jack and Michelle both changed a look with Cooper, letting him know they both understood.

"So…" Are you guys always waking up the rest of the crew, or…?" Michelle inquired as she looked between the two men.

"Not always…" Duncan shrugged his right shoulder and let his hand travel up to rub over the curved scar on his left cheek.

"But we woke up early, so we figured we could wake up some more people." Coop shrugged, "Even though I would gladly give my life for this freak right here, I'm getting a bit tired of having him around every single day… So when we first had the chance to change it up and have some other people around…"

Jack snickered as Dunc shot a glare in Coop's direction. "You're the freak…"

"Thank you Dunc!" Coop flashed a bright grin back. "I was almost getting afraid that you thought I was normal…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Well…" Jack sighed after a few more minutes of brotherly banter between the two other Delta's, "What do you guys think about letting us get dressed, and then meeting up downstairs? Is Box and Pete up yet?"

"If they're not, they will be in a short while…" Coop smiled mischievously, glancing over at Dunc. "What do you say? Bring them coffee in bed too?"

"Maybe Pete…" Dunc nodded, "Get some fuel in him before he starts his day…"

"Knowing Pete, he's probably up already…" Jack shrugged.

"Haven't seen him yet…"

"-He's probably up already…" Jack repeated.

"Well, if not we're going to wake him up now!" Duncan grinned and stood up.

"-But I think we should bring Boxer a cup of coffee too… Could be dangerous to enter his room without a proper peace offering…" Cooper chuckled.

"You know what? You might actually have a point there!" Duncan nodded deep in thought.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Twenty minutes later five of them were sitting around the breakfast table.

"Well, you were right… Pete wasn't asleep…" Coop chuckled, "Called him, he answered and said he was out for a _run_?"

"A run, really?" Boxer raised his eyebrows. "Didn't know he could run…"

"And get this, he complained his ankle was slowing him down…" Cooper added with a chuckle.

"A run, what's so weird about that?" Michelle looked up.

"She doesn't know, does she?" Cooper looked between Jack and Michelle.

"Know what?"

"Pete lost his right leg. Had it amputated a little below his knee after an IED blew up the Humvee he was in…" Dunc explained, he didn't care to mention that he had also been in that same Humvee at the time, "Guys that were there said it almost was clean off already…"

Michelle paled a little bit, then recovered and turned to Jack. "Now I see why you mentioned that he barely limped…"

Jack nodded.

Then just as if on cue, they heard Pete opening the door and stepping inside. His steps coming up the hall and he entered the kitchen.

"Morning!" he nodded, stepping inside. He was wearing a black shorts and was in the process of putting his t-shirt back on.

"How was the run?" Cooper asked.

"Little slow…" Pete shrugged, "Ankle's not a hundred percent yet… Maybe you would have been able to keep up…"

"Ha-ha…" Cooper feigned laughter, then he looked down at Pete's bare legs and studied the prosthetic. "Nice leg though, that's not the same as yesterday?"

Pete shook his head, "No… This is my running leg… Wore my formal leg yesterday…"

"Formal leg…" Dunc chuckled.

"Yeah, some people freak out a little when they see this blade…" Pete pointed to the 'leg'. "Especially patients who know they might lose a limb…"

"To be fair, I might have gotten a little nervous if I was on the operating table and saw my surgeon had a blade for a leg…" Coop nodded, "Not if it was you of course, but…"

Pete laughed, "Exactly…"

"So…" Boxer started, as he set down his coffee mug, "You want to shower or do you want breakfast first?"

"If you don't think I smell too much, the shower can wait…" Pete chuckled.

"Okay, I'll get some breakfast going. Eggs?"

"Sure!" the rest of the guys nodded.

"Need any help?" Michelle asked, "If you have the ingredients, I could whip up some pancakes or something…"

"If you would do that, it would be great!" Boxer smiled, "But I've got to warn you, these guys can eat!"

"Think I got the hint when I first got to know this handsome gentleman beside me."

Boxer chortled, "Gentleman… Now I've heard that too!"

"What? I can have a soft side too! I can show manners!" Jack smiled and bumped his shoulder into Michelle's.

"-But he doesn't eat very much compared to that mountain of a man…" Pete smirked pointing to Cooper.

"Hey, I'm a lot taller than you, of course I need a lot to eat."

 **Okay. Hope you enjoyed this little chapter.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Hello guys, just me again… Back at it…**

 **Trigger warning:**  
Mention/talk about suicide  
(US Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255)  
-Talk to someone, your life matters!

 **Okay, now that that is mentioned. Hope you enjoy the chapter. (I don't really think this one will be any worse than what you've already read through, but it deals with the subject from another angle.)**

Duncan watched as Michelle sat down with her own plate of pancakes.

He could see why Jack had fallen for her. He guessed he could find a couple reasons why she had fallen for Jack too. He was a good guy. Funny and charming when he had to. Duncan had witnessed Jack's 'game' in person, and had to admit it could be impressing. But still he had a hard time wrapping his head around how a smart, cute and awesome girl like Michelle had fallen for Jack. Stubborn, rough, sometimes short tempered Jack…  
They seemed so different from each other.

But there were no doubt they were both very much in love. All the stolen glances at the other when the other one wasn't looking. All of those accidental touches. –And the deliberate touches. (If he had been one for all that fancy schmancy romance stuff, he would have said that this romance one was right up there on the top of the list. –But he never cared about romance. Especially not when he wasn't one of the partakers. No… Romance was boring. Not something he cared about.)

He smiled as Michelle leaned against Jack's shoulder and Jack lit up with a smile of his own. He had to admit, he had never seen Jack like this.

He thought he had seen Jack in his element. Where he belonged. Guns blazing, hunkered down in a FUBAR situation, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Just pure guts, recklessness and bad-assery.

But this? It looked even more natural.

The way Jack sneaked a peek at her every chance he got. The way he would let his cast-covered arm rest just a little closer to her than strictly necessary, and the way she would wrap her arm around his elbow when she hugged him. He looked at peace.

Like the wild roaring storm that was Jack Dalton had been calmed by a blissful breeze called Michelle Sawyer.

Duncan shook his head at the intrusive thoughts. Nah… He didn't care about romance.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After they had eaten breakfast, and Pete had went upstairs to take a shower, the rest of the gang sat out back.

Cooper, Jack and Box were talking about old stories. Mainly pre-military ones.

Duncan sat down beside Michelle. He deliberately placed himself with his left side facing her. Then he looked towards her and flashed a grin he knew would tug at and distort his scar. "What do you think?"

"About?"

"Us. Jack's old buddies…" Duncan shrugged his right shoulder.

"You're an odd bunch…" Michelle smiled back, "I didn't really know what I expected when we drove up here, but whatever it was… You guys are definitely better."

"Even though we are basically one washed up cowboy, one oversized Golden Retriever puppy, one guy marked 'some assembly required' and half a chocolate Joker?" Duncan grinned and pointed to his own scar.

Michelle chuckled, and looked back up at Duncan. "How did you get that, by the way?"

"Well, sometimes I tell people it was back when I was in a street gang… Or I say I got it during my first stint in prison…" Duncan shrugged, "Sometimes it's from a bar brawl, other times auto-accident… -That one's the closest…"

"But that's all lies…?"

Dunc nodded. "See, I was in that same Humvee as Pete… Our car set off an IED, Pete lost his leg. I got this Glasgow-smile and a few other nicks… I was knocked unconscious, woke up later with more stitches than I thought it was possible to get all at once…"

"It's a while ago, right?"

"Almost ten years… Think it was 2008…" Dunc nodded, before he leaned closer, "I've got to say… I'm real impressed with you. Most folks either can't look at my face, or they stare way longer than you would think was necessary… You didn't even raise your eyebrows…"

"Well… When I started out working as a nurse, I worked a little bit at the hospital in Houston and a little at a nursing home near Sealy. There was this old veteran. The whole right side of his face was scarred, plus along with his neck, chest and shoulder." Michelle shrugged, "Looked like it was caused by acid. He didn't like when people got weird about it, but he wasn't ashamed or anything. He just wanted people to be able to look at him casually. At first I tried to avoid looking at it. After a while he stopped me and told me to 'just look at his face good and long, and get over it…'"

Duncan nodded.

"Think we sat in front of each other for ten minutes, it sure felt like it. After a while the scar didn't look as threatening, and believe me… It was the full right side of his face. After that I haven't felt guilty of looking at people's faces, as long as I don't stare. And I have realized that it can be just as painful to people if you're never able to meet their eyes."

"So you're not scared off by this little razor nick?" Duncan gestured to the large curved scar that run from his hairline, down in front of his ear and forward to the corner of his mouth.

Michelle shook her head, "Maybe if you actually dressed up as the Joker…"

"That's been my go-to Halloween costume ever since I got this…" Duncan chuckled, "But then I've got a friend modeling a matching scar for me on the other side. And I go around asking folks 'do you wanna know how I got these scars?' -And I hand out freezer pops…"

Michelle couldn't refrain from laughing. "You've got a twisted sense of humor, you know that?"

Duncan smiled and nodded as Pete came back out in the yard, with a slightly hushed voice he continued. "Pete sent me a picture last year, him and his kids. They were pirates."

Michelle chuckled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… I guess you're no longer self-conscious about the prosthetic…" Jack nodded towards Pete's legs. The shorter man wore denim shorts and had kicked his legs up on the edge of the fire pit.

"No, not anymore…" Pete nodded and raised his right leg, "As a surgeon, I have to make my patients understand that losing a leg, or an arm, won't mean the end of their life. I can't walk around and show that I'm ashamed of this leg, when I know that my patient will have to live the rest of his life with much less of a leg than what I have…"

Jack nodded, "So… Horrible question, but… -Are you okay with it?"

Pete chuckled grimly.

"Well, honestly… Optimally I'd still have my leg and still be out there with those two clowns…" he pointed towards Duncan and Cooper, "But since shit hit the fan and all that… I'm glad I'm here, even with one extremity less, instead of inside a wooden box…"

Jack nodded.

"-And I get to go home and spend time with my wife and kids at the end of the day…"

"How is that, by the way?"

"-Perfect." Pete grinned.

Then he folded his arms across his chest and chuckled lightly.

"If you ever get the chance… Take it!" Pete winked and jabbed his thumb towards Michelle over at the other side of the semi-circle they were sitting in. "You could pull it off, and still do what you do…"

"You think?"

Pete nodded. "Of course you wouldn't be able to see your girl and your kids every day like I do, but you'd be with them whenever you weren't on missions."

"But what if I leave one day, and I never make it back home?"

"What if you leave for your boring desk job one day and get into a 15-car pileup on the interstate? You can't think like that Jack…"

"But that's what's gonna happen…"

"You don't know that…" Pete looked hard at Jack, "Unless you've suddenly got a crystal ball, you don't get to make assumptions about your future. Especially not grim ones!"

"-I've screwed up everything good that has ever happened to me…"

"That's not true…"

"Georgia, Charlie, Diane, Sarah, you… Do I need to go on?"

"Okay, first of all; Charlie wasn't your fault." Pete stare intensified, and his voice became hushed. "It was his own damn choice, he didn't tell us about where his head was at. We couldn't know. Neither could you… Second; Me and those other guys? We were messed up long before we met you. Again not your fault."

"I could have…" Jack muttered, "I could have known what Charlie would do…"

"Did you have a crystal ball back then you didn't tell us about?"

Jack shook his head, "No… But I should have known…"

Pete studied Jack's expression, hurt and despair hidden behind those dark brown eyes. Pete looked away, took a glance around the circle.

"Maybe we should take a little walk… Or a drive… Given the company here…" he whispered when he looked back at Jack.

Jack looked around the circle, his eyes stopping at where Cooper and Boxer were laughing at some old story. And at Michelle and Duncan talking about something. Then he nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Where are you going?" Boxer looked up as Jack and Pete headed towards the door to the house.

"Oh, Jack's just gonna show me the place where you guys flipped that old Bronco out front…"

"Okay… Have fun…" Boxer chuckled, "Remember to drive a little slower than what we did!"

Pete nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They did what they had told Boxer, they drove out to the curve where Jack, Nick and Boxer had flipped the old yellow Bronco.

"Okay, now TALK." Pete commanded, as he sat down on the folded out tailgate next to Jack.

"I should have known…" Jack sighed, "I should have known he would do something so stupid…"

"You couldn't have known, none of us knew!" Pete butted in.

"I should have…"

"He didn't tell you, now did he?" Pete furrowed his brows and looked at Jack with a stern look, "You couldn't have known."

"He kinda did…"

"Did he tell you straight out that he was going to kill himself?"

"No."

"Then there is no way you could have known!" Pete slid down from the tailgate and stepped in front of Jack. "See, there was no way for you to know. Just like for the rest of us. Even for Coop."

Jack let out a shaky breath, "But he did tell me…"

"You're going to have start making a whole lot more sense pretty soon…" Pete sighed, "He didn't tell you, but he still told you? How did he tell you?"

"Small things…"

"Like what?"

"He told me that the job had started getting to him… That he felt like he couldn't deal with it anymore… Like it was a bit too much…" Jack sniffed.

"Yeah, he said that to all of us…" Pete shrugged, "But he was thinking about quitting. –The job."

Jack shook his head, "And he wasn't eating. And he was sleeping too much. Last couple of months there, I can't even remember him tossing a football. –Or singing…"

Pete nodded, "But none of us bit notice in any of that…"

"And he was reckless. –Remember that last mission? Before we went on leave…"

Pete nodded, "Okay, that was reckless. But he wasn't alone… None of us thought anything about it at the time…"

Jack nodded, leaned forward with his left elbow on his knee and placed his head in his good hand. "I should have known…"

"What the hell makes it so different for YOU? We were ALL there! If YOU should have known, WE ALL SHOULD HAVE!"

Jack shook his head. A sob leaving his lips, "I should have known!"

"Why? Jack… Why…?"

"-BECAUSE I WAS GOING DOWN THE SAME FUCKING PATH!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It felt like something collapsed inside of him at that moment. As he looked at one of his favorite Texans, the one who was crying in front of him. And even though Pete seldom cried, tears were stinging behind his eyelids.

Jack's shoulders were trembling. Wet sobs rolled off him to the point where he no longer could control his breathing. When he tried to breathe in it caught in his throat, choking him, causing him to gasp for air every now and then.

Three full minutes passed before Pete was able to find his words. "…Have you ever told this to anyone before?"

Jack shook his head, still crying uncontrollably.

"Damn Jack…" Pete sighed, his hands coming up to run through his hair as he paced back and forth in front of the tailgate. "How long?"

Jack couldn't answer.

Pete walked over and placed a hand on Jack's knee, knowing that if the Texan decided to lash out with a fist, they both would have a hell of a story to make up before they returned to Boxer's ranch.

Jack didn't.

"Hey, look at me…" Pete coerced, placing his other hand on Jack's left shoulder giving it a firm squeeze.

Jack looked up, his eyes puffy and red, tears and other stuff smeared across his face.

"Breathe…" Pete instructed as he let used his left hand as a visual guide when he said. "IN… … … and OUT…"

He repeated the process a few times until he no longer feared Jack would faint from lack of oxygen.

"We need to talk about this…" his dark eyes locked on Jack's equally dark ones.

Jack nodded, sniffed and took another deep breath, just like Pete had him instructed him to do earlier.

"You really thought about doing the same?"

Jack nodded, his left arm coming up to wipe away the moisture from his eyes.

"How serious was it?" Pete asked, mimicking Jack as he wiped away stray tears of his own.

"Had the gun. Couple times…" Jack bit out.

"But you didn't do it!" Pete patted Jack's knee, "I'm very glad you didn't!"

"Last time was just happenstance I didn't do it…" Jack sniffed, biting his lip.

"Okay…?"

"Box called. I already had the gun pressed against the roof of my mouth. Easing pressure on the trigger." Jack's voice was shaking, and he was helplessly trying to wipe away the continuing tears trickling down his cheeks. "I had made my mind up. But then he called."

"And you picked up your phone…"

"Figured I might as well say good bye to one of my best friends…"

"But he changed your mind?"

"-Without knowing it…" Jack nodded. "He still doesn't know…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Pete nodded, all of the guys were best buddies. But they had very different relationships between each other.

Boxer and Jack were old buddies. They grew up together. They would call each other up whenever it felt right, talk for hours about nothing at all. If they happened to be in within a three-hour drive of each other they would meet up. Have a few beers and probably get into some minor trouble. And they would set each other straight when it was necessary. They would support each other during rough times, but would never bring up touchy subjects.

Cooper. Coop was a lot younger than Jack. But both men seemed to be eternally young at heart, so they went well together. He had come into the group as a younger (but taller) version of Jack. One Pete had never met. Back before the darkness of war and life had molded him into the no nonsense team-leader the Texan had grown into. Jack and Coop took care of each other, made sure the other one didn't end up as Charlie.

Jack and Duncan worked well together. Jack had always gone well together with wild cards, which was pretty much what their team had been made up of. There were a some of similarities between Duncan and Boxer, Pete couldn't quite put his finger on what, but it probably was the fact that Duncan was to Coop what Boxer was to Jack. Hearing stories from Jack and Box's youth was like watching Coop and Dunc now.

Pete and Jack on the other hand had a different relationship. Of course they worked well together, and they could joke around like everyone else on the team. But Pete was the team medic, and that went deeper than just taking care of his guys when they endured physical trauma on missions. Jack and Pete could talk about some pretty dark stuff, not unlike what he knew Jack and Coop could, but deeper, darker.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"What did he say to change your mind…?" Pete asked, hand still on Jack's shoulder.

Jack let out a chuckle, "He said he was havin' a party down by the creek… Said that Georgia was comin', and that she'd asked after me…"

"So a chance to get some action saved you?"

Jack nodded and let out a short laugh, "Basically. I said I would come on over, figured I could wait one more day…"

Pete nodded.

"Next morning Coop called…"

"Oh…"

Jack nodded, balling up his left hand so hard the knuckles popped.

They were silent for a couple of minutes. Only noises were the wind and the two of them sporadically trying to stop their snot from running. (One of the most annoying things that happens as a reaction to crying.)

Pete stepped aside and sat back on the tailgate, tilting his head sideways to make eye contact with Jack. "Do you… -Does it still cross your mind? Doing it? Ending?"

Jack shook his head. "No…"

"You sure?"

Jack nodded. "I realized that; _'Ending your life doesn't stop the pain, it just passes it on to someone else'_ …"

"That's good brother…" Pete nodded, then cleared his voice, "If you ever, and I mean ever, struggle again. –Call me! Day or night, okay?"

Jack nodded. "Same goes for you, alright?"

Pete nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. But you can relax. I've already got someone worth living for back home."

Jack smiled, he knew Pete's wife and kids meant the whole world to him.

"And if you ever just need to clear your mind. I'm here for that too…" Pete slapped Jack's thigh, "I'm here for that too. Doesn't matter if it's four o'clock in the afternoon, or 3 A.M. a Monday morning…"

Jack nodded, "Thanks…"

"That's what friends are for, right?"

Jack nodded.

 **Okay… Hope you're doing fine. Have a nice day!**

 **Also, Gib… I hope I didn't mess up your guys too much! And again, thanks for letting me borrow them. I'm having way too much fun…**


	36. Chapter 36

**Thank you all so much for the comments!**

 **Okay… So… Let's get going, shall we?**

"We should probably get back to the others…" Jack sighed after a while. They had talked about life, and death, and every thing in between for the last hour or so.

Pete nodded, "I think you need to dry up before we do so…"

Jack sniffled, chuckled and looked up at Pete, "Says you?"

Pete chuckled, and wiped his eyes again. "Okay, we both need to do that…"

"Look, we're not gonna talk about this when we get back to the others, right?" Jack squinted over at Pete, his good hand kneading his own thigh.

"Of course not…" Pete nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"What took you guys so long? We started wondering if we had to go looking for ya!" Boxer narrowed his eyes at the two of them.

"Oh, we had to stop for gas…" Jack shrugged, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Well, the gas station isn't far away…"

Jack nodded, "I know, but then we went to the store for more food and beer. You mentioned you probably had to make a run for that today…"

Boxer nodded, "Yeah? Thank you!"

The fact that Jack and Pete had basically sprinted around in the store with a shopping cart each to make the shopping go as quick as possible didn't need to be mentioned.

"You're welcome…" Pete nodded as Jack walked over to Michelle and placed a kiss on her cheek.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey honey…" he whispered to her, "These buddies of mine treat you good while I was gone?"

Michelle nodded, "They told me a few stories…"

"Oh shit…" Jack chuckled, "Nothing too bad I hope…"

"No, just cute stuff…" Michelle smiled as she looked back up at Jack.

"So they didn't scare you away from me?"

"Nah, they would have to step up their game a lot to do so…" Michelle chuckled.

"Good…" Jack smiled back, "Cause I don't want you to leave…"

"I don't plan on leaving…" Michelle whispered back placing her hand over his on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

She looked up at him for a little while, her eyes locked on his for a few seconds before she whispered, "Are you good? Is your hand bothering you?"

Jack shook his head and answered quietly, "No…"

She nodded, "How 'bout your arm then?"

It felt like a horse had kicked him in the chest. He had looked at himself in the mirror before he went inside, Pete had too, to make sure they didn't look like they both had been crying their eyes out earlier. How could she know something was up?

Jack swallowed hard, "Can it wait? I've about met my limit of how much I can talk about that this month…"

Michelle squeezed his hand reassuringly and nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… Any plans for the day?" Jack asked as they sat back down around the cold fire pit.

"Well, we talked about visiting Ma Dalton…" Coop grinned, "We were pretty much all in favor of it…"

"You're kidding, right?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"No, we're serious." Boxer shot in, "I texted her, she said she would have dinner ready at six. Said she would even have enough for that 'tall blond one'. –And she's really looking forward to meeting Michelle!"

Jack chuckled, "Well, I thought I would have a little more time to prepare for this…"

"Better just to jump right in, Wyatt…" Boxer grinned. "You've never been afraid of going off the deep end before."

"Still ain't…" Jack shrugged, "Just thought I'd have a day or two more to get ready on…"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Caroline S. Dalton sat on her front porch a little before 6 p.m. She was excited to see her son's friends again, it had been too long, but more than anything she was excited to meet Michelle.

Her heart picked up as she saw a cloud of dust forming at the end of her driveway. She knew it had to be them. All six of them.

Jack, Michelle, Boxer, Pete, Duncan and that tall blonde one who looked very much like his older brother used to, Cooper. She knew Mac wasn't coming this time, which was sad. But she was sure the kid would make a visit sometime soon, tag along the next time Jack decided to come back home for a stint.

She stepped down the stairs and waited for the cars to get there.

Boxer's yellow Bronco was the first car to get there. Jack's pickup were a few hundred yards behind.

The tarp was missing from the yellow Bronco's dented roll bar. She recognized Boxer instantly, he had basically been in her house as often as her sons back when they were growing up. They were always together.

And Cooper, the tall blonde one who reminded her so very much about his older brother, Charlie.  
It was definitely Duncan who sat beside Cooper in the back. He was easy to recognize.  
And the one in the front passenger seat had to be Pete. She hadn't seen him in years.

The Bronco skidded to a halt in front of her front porch and the two in the back jumped out over the sides where there were no doors and the tarp was missing. Pete stepped out from the passenger seat, she was glad to see that he no longer required crutches to move around. But then again, it was years since she had seen him.

Boxer crawled out from the front seat and stepped over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Hi Caroline!"

"Hi Box… Duncan, Pete, Coop… It's been too long…"

Cooper nodded and stepped forward to hug her, lifting her off the ground in the process.

She laughed, "Good to see you Coop…"

"You too Ma Dalton!" Coop chuckled and put her back down.

Duncan was the next one to step up and hug her, a quick casual hug, but with a smile that said that he had missed her.

Pete was the last one in this group of her extended children to come over and hug her. He wrapped one arm around the back of her neck and the other diagonally across her back and pressed her tight for about five seconds.

"Look at you, walking and all!" she smiled when they released each other again.

Pete grinned and nodded, "Yeah, been doing that for some years now…"

"It's good to see…" Caroline grinned, "And you look so fit, have you been working out?"

"That crazy person right there went for a run this morning…" Boxer chuckled, "Before any of us even thought about getting up…"

"Wow, no wonder you look good. Your wife is a lucky girl…" she winked.

Pete shook his head, laughing, "No… I'm the lucky one… She's amazing."

"You know what? She must be thinking the same thing about you"

"Thank you…" Pete smiled, just as Jack's old truck pulled up behind them.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Didn't you say you probably had to wear that sling when we visited your mother."

"Shhh… I'm trying to sneak past my mom's old two week rule…" Jack whispered as he put the car in 1st gear and shut off the engine.

"Old two week rule?"

Jack nodded, "Whenever I hurt something, that either required crutches, a splint or a sling, anything… Her rule was that I had to use it for at least two weeks. –Unless the doctor specified something different."

Michelle nodded.

"Of course I bent that rule, as soon as I was out of her eyesight, I would do whatever felt right…"

Michelle chuckled and rolled her eyes as she opened her door and slid out. "Of course you did…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Whiskey…" Caroline smiled as Jack stepped into view, "There you are!"

"Hey Ma…" he smiled as she went in for a hug.

Then she stepped back and looked at Michelle who was walking up next to him.

"And you must be Michelle?" she smiled.

Michelle nodded with a smile and stretched out her hand, "And you're obviously Caroline, you have one fine son…"

Instead of taking her hand, Caroline wrapped her arms around Michelle in a hug. "See, we hug our friends around here…"

Michelle didn't have any restrictions against that.

As Caroline stepped away she looked over at her son again. "-And where's your sling?"

"It's almost two wee-"

"Young man…" his mother glared up at him with a strict expression, "Almost two weeks, is still not two weeks…"

Boxer smirked behind her. He had witnessed this exchange many times before. –And he knew Jack would have to find his sling once again of he didn't come up with a solid explanation for why not.

"Ma, the doctor didn't say I had to wear a sling, I just figured it would be more comfortable for the first few days…" Okay, lie… The doctor had advised him to wear a sling. But his mom didn't need that bit of information.

"And when you figure out something like that on your own… That's equally as much reason to go by the house rules… If not more…"

Jack let out an exasperated sigh, and headed over to the passenger side of his old truck. He fitted the sling and placed his right arm in it. Then he walked back to the group.

"Happy now?" he looked at his mom.

"Very much…" his mom smiled back, before she turned around, "Come on in, dinner is ready!"

Jack shot a glare over his shoulder at Boxer who finally broke down and chuckled.

"So it wasn't Michelle meeting Ma you were afraid of?"

"Shut it, Box…"

"No… No. This is…" Boxer inhaled deeply, trying to stop himself from laughing, "She still has complete control over her son."

Jack glared back harder, "You know damn well you would have gone and picked up the sling too, if our roles were reversed."

Boxer pressed his knuckles against his lips in an attempt to stop laughing. He nodded. "Of course Wyatt, that little lady up there… She can be scary…"

Jack nodded.

 **Okay… So…  
I decided that once upon a time, way back when, Caroline got tired of Jack injuring and re-injuring himself, so she became VERY strict about certain things.  
And just because he's a grown man, doesn't mean she's letting go of her old rules.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hello, It's just me again…**

"Dude! How can you eat all that and still reach for the potatoes?" Duncan frowned as he watched Cooper shuffle more potatoes onto his plate.

"It tasted good! That's how!" Cooper grinned back, before he turned towards Caroline and smiled, "Tastes awesome!"

Caroline smiled back, "That's good Coop, make sure you get enough. There's more on the stove…"

Jack grinned and shook his head, his mom was used to cooking for a large group. And she usually made enough for leftovers, lots of leftovers. Cooking for a squad of Delta operators was an easy task for her.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack watched as Michelle and his mama sat and bonded. Michelle had her feet drawn up underneath her in the chair, his mom had her legs up on the couch.

His mom gestured wildly as she told old stories from Jack's childhood. He didn't mind.

Michelle laughed, and her eyes crinkled before she cast a glance towards him, then she looked back towards his mom.

"-Think your mom likes her…" Box nudged Jack's shoulder with his elbow.

Jack nodded, "Ma likes everyone…"

"Yeah, but she's about ready to show off all those embarrassing baby pics…" Boxer chuckled, "And she's about ready to call Michelle her daughter-in-law…"

Jack laughed, trapping his lower lip between his teeth. "I don't mind…"

"You thinking 'bout…?"

Jack shrugged, "In the future… Yeah…"

Boxer grinned as he sat down beside Jack.

"Good, brother…" Boxer smirked, "I think she's good for ya…"

Jack nodded. He shook his head and chuckled, "How the hell did I get this lucky?"

"Hey, every dog has its day…" Boxer chuckled.

Jack nodded, then he looked over at Box. "How 'bout you brother? Find yourself a gal to settle down with?"

Box shrugged, "Thought I had something going a few months ago…"

"Oh?"

"-Didn't work out…"

"That sucks…" Jack sighed.

"Man, I should have taken better care of Rita…" Box sighed. "I think she was the one…"

Jack shrugged, "The two of you had a lot of fun together… But I'm not sure she was the one for you anyway…"

"Well, I sure haven't met anyone who has kept up with me for long after her…"

"-Hey, it's not easy… Doing what we did, it takes a toll, and no matter how much you try not to… -You bring it home with you…"

"Amen…" Boxer nodded.

"But you still have the chance…" Jack shrugged, "Just look at me, I stumbled into a bar on crutches one night to drown every memory of everything, and I ended up with the most amazing girl, ever."

Box chuckled, "You saying I need to find some crutches and crawl into a bar?"

"More like crawl out of it…" Jack frowned as a flash of the morning after crossed his mind. "I got hammered…"

Boxer chuckled, "Well, whatever you did. Best choice of your life…"

Jack looked at Michelle and his mom again, "Yeah… -yeah…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Caroline put her feet down on the floor, and looked at Michelle. "You think these guys could eat some dessert soon?"

Michelle chuckled, "Yeah, these guys could probably eat 24/7 if you allowed them…"

"Especially that blond one…" Caroline winked. "Jack used to be like that when he was younger…"

"Yeah…" Caroline nodded, "Guess he grew out of it… Mostly…"

Michelle grinned, "Well, he still knows how to finish up a meal…"

Caroline nodded.

"Is there anything I can help you with in the kitchen?" Michelle asked as Caroline started to push off the couch.

"Well, I've already prepared most of it… But maybe you could set the table, -or whip some cream?"

Michelle nodded and followed Jack's mom back into the kitchen.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So…" Caroline started when they were alone in the kitchen, "You like my son?"

Michelle blushed and nodded, "Very much…"

Caroline smiled, and looked over at Michelle, "He's in love with you, you know…"

Michelle chuckled, "Yeah, he's showed me that…"

Caroline giggled, "I sure hope so… He can be a bit…"

Caroline didn't find the right word instantly, and spent a few seconds searching.

"-detached." Caroline shrugged finally, "But trust me, I've never seen him acting like this. He's really in love with you…"

Michelle smiled, "That's good… Because I had a hard time when he had to leave last time. And I know that this time around won't be any easier…"

Caroline sighed, and looked towards Michelle. "Yeah, I know… At least he's not touring with those guys in there anymore…"

Michelle had to bite her lip not to laugh, she knew his mother had been told a cover story. But she knew some bits of the truth. He sure wasn't any safer in his current job.

"Yeah, that's true…" Michelle nodded a second or two later.

"Now, if he could only stop with that whole stuntman thing of his…" Caroline laughed, "But then again, it's Whiskey…"

"Whiskey?" Michelle raised her eyebrows.

"Nickname…" Caroline explained as she found a bowl, "He was a real rambunctious kid, wild, strong and a little crazy… I started calling him that before he started school… -It stuck…"

Michelle chuckled, "He hasn't changed much in other words…?"

"Not really…" Caroline chuckled, "He's grown, got some crow's-feet and some silver in his hair, but he hasn't changed much…"

Michelle chuckled, "How was it to have a kid like that?"

"Oh, darlin'… I had three…"

Michelle looked expectantly towards Caroline for an explanation.

"See, our girls weren't any trouble, but Jack, Nick and Boxer out there, they made up for it…"

Michelle nodded, "I've heard some stories…"

"I don't think Nick would have been too bad on his own, and I don't think he ever was the mastermind behind any of the crap they pulled… But Jack sure…" Caroline couldn't help but chuckle, "Jack sure lived up to every nickname he got…"

"So there's more than 'Whiskey'?"

Caroline nodded, "His father used to call him Cowboy…"

"Because of the riding?"

"Yeah, at first… But it fitted nicely with his wild and crazy side…" Caroline shrugged.

Michelle smiled, "Yeah, I bet it did."

Caroline flipped on the mixer and poured cream into the bowl, she added some sugar and vanilla and let it run until the cream was stiff. Michelle set some plates and coffee cups on the table.

"I'm thinking about having a family reunion in about a month, figured that Jack won't be back to work before then… You should come if you get the time…" Caroline said as she had the whipped cream into another bowl, one that looked a little nicer. "His sisters would adore you!"

Michelle smiled, "I'd love to…"

"I sent out invitations to the rest of the offspring yesterday." Caroline chuckled, "I haven't told Jack yet, but he usually comes, as sure as he doesn't have to work…"

Michelle nodded, "Would have been nice to meet the rest of his family too, I've heard a few stories from when he grew up, and it would be fun to meet the people behind those stories…"

Caroline chuckled, "Well, you've already met Boxer… He's in most of the stories I guess…"

Michelle laughed, "Yeah, in most of the stories that ends with bruises or Band-Aids…"

Caroline smiled, "It was difficult being his mother, but it was also one of the best things to happen to me… Never a dull moment…"

"I bet…" Michelle nodded, "But wasn't it scary?"

"Oh, I had my heart in my throat most of the time… But chances are, it will turn out alright."

"So, bottom line?"

"Bottom line, if you really love him. -Don't be afraid to love him…" Caroline shrugged, "A guy like that, he'll get hurt from time to time. Be worse for the wear sometimes. He probably takes a few too many risks… But don't let the fear of losing him keep you from loving him…"

Michelle chuckled, "Well, I don't think I could love him any more than I already do…"

"You don't?"

Michelle shook her head with a fond smile on her lips, "No, I can't see how that could ever happen…"

Caroline laughed, "Yeah, I remember that feeling…"

Michelle looked up to see Caroline with stars in her eyes as she thought back.

"Jack's father, Jack… He…" Caroline closed her eyes and smiled, "He proved me wrong on that same thing so many times…"

Michelle nodded, "I've got a feeling that that's how the story goes… After last time, I couldn't believe how in love I was… Now that fades in comparison to what I feel now…"

Caroline smiled, secretly hoping that her son wouldn't wait too long to make this girl a part of their family. Officially.

 **Okay, so… Not the longest chapter ever… I know…  
But, it's more than 1k too, so… Not all that short either…**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	38. Chapter 38

**Okay, so… For future reference…  
This is where I decided to write a few chapters that will be posted further down the line. Like, when winter rolls along for this story…**

 **-And, once again… Looks like I go off in the dark, dark corners of my imagination. (trying to keep enough light in here for other people to read… Damn… Where was that match?)**

 **-I'll try to end this cry-fest soon… At least for a little while…**

"How are you doing Coop?" Caroline asked after the whole gang had eaten desserts. The others had headed back into the living room, Cooper sat behind and sipped some coffee with Caroline.

He shrugged, a long winded sigh collapsing his shoulders.

"Hey, kid…" Caroline tried to get his attention, "Everything good in the top floor?"

Cooper let out a short laugh, then he fell silent again. His left paw came up and ran down his face, he shook his head.

"Always this freaking cheery…" he sighed, his voice low and rumbling "Always smiling and happy…"

Caroline looked towards the door to the hall and the living room. It was closed. Good.

"You talking 'bout you or Charlie now?"

Coop dropped his head, his hands running up through his blond hair, then down his face until his chin rested on his palms.

"I don't know…" his voice was barely a whisper, "-I don't know…"

Caroline reached for the coffee pot and re-filled his cup, then she topped off her own.

"You do know you're allowed to have down days? Right?"

Coop dipped his head a fraction, "Yeah, kinda…"

"Kiddo…"

"I'm just scared that if I show up one day, and I… I don't smile and joke around…"

Caroline watched as Cooper leaned side to side, his hands traveling to rub his neck, knead his shoulders, run through his hair. He looked like he suddenly was uncomfortable in his own skin. Like sitting still would physically bring him pain.

"I'm afraid I'll scare them!" he squeezed his eyes shut. The muscles along his jaw were bouncing, before he flatted out on the table. One long arm acting as a pillow for his head, the other one wrapped over his head as if to protect it. "I'm afraid they'll think I'm going to do the same thing Charlie did…"

"But you're not thinking about that, are you?" she didn't even care to hide the worried tone in her voice.

Coop shook his head, "I don't think about doing it myself…"

"There's a 'but' coming there somewhere…"

Cooper nodded, "I see it…"

The large man shook his head where it was trapped between two massive forearms.

"I see it way too often. I see him, I… I-"

Cooper grabbed a good hold of his own hair, pulling it enough to make it hurt a bit.

"I just wish somebody else found him…" gone was the 30-something Delta Commando, he was replaced by the once skinny, lanky kid.

Caroline reached out and placed a hand on Coop's forearm. Forcing the man to look up at her.

The torment and pain in his eyes hurt to look at.

Caroline stood up and walked around the table, climbed up on to the bench beside Cooper. She sat on her knees and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Cooper looked over at her, his arms and head still leaning on the table. He took a deep breath, held it and let go of it again. "Or… I'm glad no one else found him… I don't want anybody else to have to deal with this…"

"Aw… Coop…" Caroline sighed, rubbing her hand in circles over his shoulder. "You shouldn't have to deal with this alone…"

Cooper shrugged, "I can't put it on _them,_ they've been through enough…"

"They can take it…"

Coop shook his head, "They shouldn't have to…"

"Well, you've been through enough yourself. –And you're the youngest? Aren't you?"

"Duncan is a few weeks older than me…" Coop shrugged, "But Mac…"

"Yeah, I know Mac is a lot younger. But he's not here right now…" Caroline shrugged. "But anyway… Those guys out there are strong enough to carry some of that weight on your shoulders… And I'm pretty sure they are more than willing to do so too…"

Cooper nodded, "Thing is… I can't…"

"Why, kiddo?"

"Well, I could talk to Pete. But if I talk about any of the graphics of it I'm afraid I'll cause him to relive that mission he lost his leg in…"

"Pete works as a surgeon… -I'm pretty sure he could handle you describing whatever you saw…"

Coop shook his head. "I don't want to do that to him…"

Caroline looked at the big man, "What about Duncan? You two still tour together…"

"Nah… I don't want to make things worse for him… He really liked Charlie, everybody did…"

"-Of course they did… But everybody loves you too, you know… And they care about you!"

Cooper nodded, "I just figure it has to be hard enough for him to walk around with that scar on his face every day… I don't want to mess with his mind too…"

Caroline let her hand travel up to Coop's head, where she started playing with his hair in a calming way. A mother soothing a tired and hurt child.

"Box?" she suggested, "He's always good with words. Good at listening and fixing problems…"

"He's got too many things on his hands already…" Coop shrugged, "He's got a week off every now and then, but I've seen his schedule. It's crazy hours… Whatever time he has off, he needs that to relax… Not worry about my problems…"

There was a pause, Cooper let out a heavy sigh.

"And I can't tell Boss this…"

"Boss?"

"Yeah, uh… Sorry… -Jack…"

"Boss?" Caroline chuckled, "I thought you were the new boss, kiddo…"

Cooper chuckled. "Well, yeah… Some piece of paper somewhere says something like that… But your son will always be the one and only Boss…"

Caroline chuckled, "I honestly can't picture that…"

Cooper smiled briefly.

"Now, why can't you tell Jack?"

"He's… He's happy." Cooper shrugged, "Finally. He's… He's about ready to settle down… I think… And I don't wanna give him more nightmares, you already know he has them…"

Caroline nodded, "He can take it…"

Coop nodded, "I know he can. But it's going to mess him up, and I don't want to do that to him…"

"Mac?"

"Mac is literally just a kid!" Cooper squeezed his massive right palm around his left bicep. "He's just a kid. And he didn't know Charlie… He don't need to know more than he already does…"

Caroline nodded, still running her hand through Cooper's hair.

She wasn't exactly surprised when she had the arms of a 260 pound mountain wrapped around her two seconds later, or his forehead pressed against her shoulder. He wasn't exactly crying, but his breath was ragged and his shoulders trembled. Like he was fighting as hard as he could not to break down and cry.

"Hey, it's okay…" Caroline murmured, "You're okay, son…"

Coop shook his head against her shoulder.

"I miss him…" his voice was so uncharacteristic that Caroline almost didn't realize it was the big man who had spoken. "-I miss my big brother…"

"Oh, I know kid…" Caroline had tears welling up in her own eyes. "I know…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle entered the kitchen to look for some more coffee. She did not expect to see Ma Dalton comforting the largest Delta operator. Caroline had the ability of making the big man seem like a small child in her embrace. But Michelle only got a quick glimpse of it.

Cooper quickly untangled himself from Caroline when he realized the door had opened. He looked up, mild panic in his eyes.

"Hey, just looking for some coffee…" Michelle explained as she walked closer, heading for where the thermos stood.

Coop wiped his eyes, and looked up. Nodding.

Michelle ended up right by Coop's left, on the opposite side of Caroline. She placed her hand on his shoulder for a brief second, before she bent down and gave him a hug.

She stood up and reached for the coffee, with a shrug she nodded towards the door. "They're kinda missing you guys in there… It's highlights of Bagram right now…"

A smile captured Coops lips, "Have they told the story about when Jack almost blew us all up back there?"

"I don't think I've heard that story!" Caroline frowned, looking between Cooper and Michelle.

"No, they have not told anything like that yet…" Michelle shrugged as Cooper looked over at Caroline.

"It was just ALMOST…" Cooper defended, "Nothing bad happened."

Caroline shook her head. "Okay…"

"Just give us a couple of minutes…" Cooper cleared his voice, and took a second wipe at his eyes, "We'll be there soon…"

"Okay…" Michelle smiled and hugged Cooper once more, before looking at both of them. "-We hug our friends 'round here, right?"

"Thanks Michelle…" Cooper smiled, patting her hand which was still on his shoulder.

"If you want to buy yourselves a few minutes, I could say that you just set over another pot of coffee…?" Michelle offered, lifting the green thermos she had in her hand a little higher.

"That would be great, thanks honey…" Caroline smiled, "I'll set some over…"

Michelle nodded as she retreated towards the living room.

 **Okay… So… I'll try to lift the mood for a little while now. Because this is just… One big cry-fest at the moment.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Whaaat to write now?**

Jack smiled at the sight of his and Michelle's fingers entwined. Her right hand and his left, clasped together, her left hand resting over his wrist. He stroked his thumb across the back of her thumb.

She leaned against his shoulder.

"-And then Box over there had to drag Boss about a quarter mile by the straps on his vest. Boss still shot everything that moved in the direction we had come from. How long were you on crutches for after that?"

"Farah?" Caroline asked as she came back inside the living room, Cooper right behind her.

Pete nodded.

"At least five weeks after he got home…" Caroline answered, "But what I really want to know about is when he almost blew you guys up in Bagram…"

"Uh-oh…" Jack and Boxer sounded in unison, sharing a quick look. The stocky Texan quickly stood up and looked towards the door, planning his escape. Jack had no such luxury, he was trapped between Michelle and Pete.

"No. You stay…" Caroline fixed Boxer with a glare, "If he was there, chances are you were there right next to him. And given that frightened look on your face, you're equally as guilty…"

Boxer swallowed and lowered himself back onto the chair he had been sitting in.

"Now, would any of you young men confess to what Jack did? Or do I have to start guessing?"

The group looked between each other, sharing an unspoken conversation.

Duncan sat back, his posture and facial expression stating something along the lines of 'I ain't no snitch!' He looked at Pete and Duncan, then at Boxer and Jack. He sure as hell wouldn't be the one to reveal the secret.

Pete sat back, looking at Jack. Cooper stepped over and found himself a seat near the window. He didn't say anything either.

Jack and Box looked at each other. This was no new scene for them, Jack's mother had caught them red-handed so many times that back in the day when they had to pick their own switches, that one of the trees in the yard had turned into just a trunk.

"Now?" she prompted, and the two grown men shrank down in their seats. Willing the cushions to swallow them whole.

Jack looked at Boxer, giving a silent nod in his direction, without words asking him to start the story. Boxer frowned, but nodded back.

"See… None of us got badly hurt, alright? And if Mac had been with us back then, and here right now, he probably could have explained it all better…" Boxer drawled while wringing his hands. "We sort of didn't know there was a bomb in a room…"

Caroline just looked between Boxer and Jack, "-And?"

"And I sort of threw a grenade in there…" Jack gritted out, "We were in the neighbor room, and well… It went kaboom…"

"Roof came down, that's what it did…" Boxer rumbled.

"Not in the room we were in though…" Jack butted in, holding up his good hand in a defensive position.

"No, but the wall caved towards us…" Pete rolled his eyes, "Charlie got his hand broken by a huge piece of wall… I remember splinting it as best as I could, and him refusing to take the backseat for the rest of the op."

Cooper chuckled, "Luckily it was his left though…"

Dunc chuckled too, "That would have been worse if it was you…"

Coop nodded, looking at his dominant hand. "Yeah, would've sucked!"

"-But you're pretty ambidextrous, aren't you?" Pete held up both his hands, wiggling his fingers.

"Meh… A bit I guess, but don't ask me to write with my right…"

"Dude, it's barely legible when you write at all!" Duncan teased, earning himself a grumpy frown from the tall blond.

"But seriously, aren't you somewhat both-handed?" Pete repeated.

"I can shoot both ways…" Coop shrugged, "Spent loads of extra time on the firing range teaching myself just that… Can't really think of anything else straight away…"

"Well, it sure worked out…" Jack smirked, "I wouldn't like to compete against you, normal or otherwise…"

"Now, don't try to row yourself away from the story, okay?" When nobody continued telling the story, Caroline folded her arms over her chest and looked at the two oldest men. "You two, porch, now."

When neither man moved, she stepped over, close enough to haul Jack to his feet by his shoulder, quickly clasping one hand at the nape of his neck. Steering him and herself towards Boxer, who in turn jumped to his feet.

"I'm comin' ma'am!" he ensured as he backed towards the door, keeping his neck as far away from the older woman as possible.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"…Did you just witness the same as I did?" Duncan asked, cautiously tilting his head to look at the two other soldiers.

Pete nodded, eyes wide and still locked at the closed door.

"Our fearless leader and his second in command just got owned by a little lady…" Coop whispered, like raising his voice would bring her wrath down on the three (four) of them.

Pete nodded again, "Not exactly the words I'd use, but yeah…"

Dunc let his fingers trace up and down the scar on the side of his face in a nervous manner. "Man, I'm glad I'm not them right now…"

"She can't be that bad…" Michelle shrugged looking at the three men who sat left in the room.

"I wouldn't assume that so quickly…" Pete said in a hushed voice, "I've never seen Jack, or Boxer like _that_ …"

Cooper nodded, "You can _literally_ have Boxer at gunpoint, and he won't act like that…"

"Oh…" Michelle snapped her mouth shut at that piece of information.

"That's it. I'm never messing with Ma Dalton…" Duncan frowned.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took almost 20 minutes before the trio entered the house again. Both men had a slightly distant look in their eyes, Boxer was rubbing his neck gingerly.

"You guys actually look shell-shocked…" Pete almost gasped as he looked up at the two men.

"Well, Ma is just as scary at 50 as at 5…" Boxer drawled, sparing a glance over his shoulder to make sure Caroline wasn't right behind him.

Jack nodded, "Let's just say she thought we were reckless… -She did not approve…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took another couple of minutes before Caroline also entered the room again. She was calm and had a smile on her lips again. She sat down opposite Jack, fixing him with a mild glare. "Just promise me you don't do something that stupid ever again… Okay?"

Jack nodded, "I'll sure try not to…"

Caroline closed her eyes in an attempt to compose herself. She drew a deep breath and opened her eyes again. "Guess that's as good of a promise I'll get from you…"

"Hey, it was you who told me never to make promises I couldn't keep…" Jack countered, causing his mom to smile.

 **Okay, so… I might skip ahead a little while for the next chapter…(haven't decided yet) I seriously can't wait to show you the chapters I wrote for further down the line. –I just need to get there first…**


	40. Chapter 40

**So…**

 **60k+ words… (And you're still reading? Wow…)(And I'm still writing? Wow…)**

 **Might advice you to have at least a cold glass of water standing by for this one… (And maybe not read it in a very public place… Maybe…)**

Sunday morning Michelle woke up with Jack's arm wrapped around her waist.

She placed her hand over his, and felt him stir awake behind her.

"Mornin'…" he drawled, his accent thicker whenever he was tired.

"Mornin' sweetheart…" she whispered back, lifting his had from her waist and turning around to face him. His arm came back down to rest over her waist.

The left corner of his mouth curved upward.

"How long do you think it takes before we get woken up by Coop and Dunc?" Michelle asked, placing a quick kiss on his shoulder.

Jack chuckled, "Not long enough…"

"Darn it…" Michelle chuckled, "Feels kinda good just layin' here like this…"

Jack nodded and pulled her closer, his lips coming down on hers for a kiss.

"What are we doing today?" she asked as she placed her right hand on his chest, spreading her fingers as far as they would go. She still didn't cover much area.

Jack shrugged, "How you feel about sneakin' away for a couple of hours?"

Michelle smirked, "And do what?"

Jack shrugged and propped himself up on his elbow, making himself able to lean down and kiss Michelle's neck.

"I don't know…" he whispered, "We could sleep for that matter, we wouldn't be woken up by two goofballs…"

Michelle giggled knowing that sleep was probably the last thing on Jack's mind, on hers too.

"Sounds good…" She whispered back, "A little extra rest could always be good…"

"Whaddaya say we sneak out after lunch?" Jack locked eyes with her, a mischievous smile crossing his lips.

"Sounds like a great plan soldier…" Michelle smiled and snuggled close to his chest.

10 minutes later Coop and Dunc were pounding on the door like they had done the other mornings. Seconds later entering with fresh coffee for the couple.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

2p.m. they were finally able to sneak off on their own. They made it to the place Jack had mentioned to her, a little spot by the creek. Rounded rocks made up the riverbed, wildflowers grew by the pebbled beach.

Jack laid a blanket down, "Something to sit on isn't exactly a necessity on this beach, but when you've got a beautiful woman with you, you make sure to do things proper, right?"

Michelle laughed, and stretched up on her toes to kiss Jack. He placed his cast covered right hand at her waist, and cupped one side of her face with his left hand.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle felt her heart flutter in her chest. She wrapped her hands behind Jack's back and pulled him closer, pressing them against each other.

Jack's smile against her lips caused her to blush.

"Hey handsome, may I help you take that shirt off?" Michelle whispered, bringing her right hand between them, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

He spared a glance down at her hand, "Does that mean your top is coming off too?"

"If you want it to…" Michelle winked.

"Sure could think of worse things to happen…" Jack chuckled, and started lifting his shirt.

"Allow me…" Michelle winked, running both her hands up underneath his shirt.

Jack grinned, his lips coming down coming down on hers just before he had to back away to allow her to pull his shirt over his head.

"Are you going to help me off with my top now?" Michelle inquired, holding the edge of her top out towards his good hand.

"You sure don't have to ask me twice…" Jack chuckled and grabbed a hold of her tank-top.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"This is crazy…" Michelle chuckled, "What if anybody sees us?"

Jack looked towards his truck, before he returned his attention to Michelle. "I really don't think anyone is going to come all the way out here…"

Michelle nodded as she straddled Jack, "Good, cause that would be real embarrassing…"

"Why?" he flashed a grin.

Michelle laughed.

"Well, our clothes are over there…" Michelle pointed to the pile of clothed, "We're over here…"

Jack grinned, "Don't you think those clothes look damn good over there, without us?"

Michelle leaned down and kissed Jack's lips, then she kissed his chest, "Looks very good over there…"

"You didn't even look towards them…" Jack grinned.

"Like I have to…" Michelle whispered, looking down at Jack's body, "I know they look better over there, because of what I can see right here…"

Jack grinned and sat up to kiss her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders pulling her down with him as he laid back down.

She started rocking back and forward, Jack rolled his hips and let his left hand glide up and down Michelle's thigh a couple of times before he let his hand travel up to hold her right breast.

He locked eyes with her, his breath in rhythm with hers. Their movements in perfect time with each other.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle moaned as her blood rushed through her body. Jack's hand travelling up and down her side, driving her crazy. She pressed her hands down on his chest, spreading her fingers and running her nails across his skin.

He grunted with pleasure and pulled her head down towards his for a kiss.

She gasped, Jack's breath hitched. Michelle grabbed her other boob, squeezing it just right.

Jack smiled and mimicked her, adding gentle pressure. Michelle gasped and let her hands come down to claw against his sides. He gasped too.

She moaned as they hit a particular sweet-spot. Her heart walloped, she cried out. She breathed hard, small whimpers leaving her lips as she leaned over and kissed Jack's shoulder.

Jack gritted his teeth, he growled with delight. He pulled in air sharply, and exhaled slowly through pressed lips.

"Fuck, you are beautiful!" he gasped, causing Michelle to giggle.

She was so close, so close, so… OH!

It was like a current rolling through her body in waves. All the way from her toes to the top of her head, from left to right. She let out a high pitched moan as spasms took over her muscles. She didn't fight it, she just let it wash over her. She moaned, still moving in pace with Jack, until the tension left his body.

She felt Jack exhale beneath her. She smirked and leaned down, capturing his lips with hers. A few seconds later she let go of his lips long enough to whisper, "I freakin' love ya…"

Jack smirked back at her, taking a few labored breaths before whispering "Love ya, honey…"

 **Okay, I basically just closed my eyes and hit 'publish new chapter' with this one.  
Might be blushing a little bit over here… Yup… **

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	41. Chapter 41

**Okay, thank you all so much for all the nice comments. Keeps me going!**

 **And as before,** MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016 **in bold text (like this MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016) means that there is a bigger 'jump' in time…**

Michelle laid by Jack's left side. Her hand resting at his side, right next to her chest. She studied the scar and ran her thumb across it, Jack chuckled.

"That tickles…" Jack whispered and moved his left hand from her shoulder to her waist.

"I'll stop…" Michelle murmured and moved her hand.

"No… Good kind of tickle, just keep going…" Jack assured her, and smiled as he felt her hand come back over the old scar.

"Bullet, right?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah…"

"Pierced your ribs?"

Jack shook his head, "No… It just graced my side, had a couple of almost healed cracked ribs there already. Broke them up again when the bullet hit my vest…"

Michelle nodded, still rubbing her fingers over the area. "Can you tell me about it?"

Jack chuckled, "Sure… But why?"

Michelle shrugged, "Cause I want to know as much about you as possible. And I want to know what your scars are from…"

Jack let out a short laugh, "You're weird. You know that?"

Michelle nodded, "but you love me anyway…"

Jack nodded and pressed her closer to his side. "I would be a fool not to…"

Michelle smiled.

"So…" he started, craning his neck to look at his scar, "It was the same day Pete lost his leg and Dunc got that big old scar of his…"

Michelle nodded.

"The rest of us had stayed at the camp, while Pete and Dunc were with some escort detail." Jack thought back, "They either got hit by something or drove over an IED. I'm not all clear on the details of it. Anyway… The vehicle they were in blew up. The rest of us got sent out on a rescue mission to save the ones who weren't critical and didn't need MEDEVAC…"

Michelle gently placed her fingers over the scar, feeling the texture of it.

"Everything went haywire. I think we all got hurt on that one. Mac got a few wounds, not all too serious. Sure it left its marks, but all he really needed was stitches and some time to rest. I got a concussion and had a bullet or two carve off some skin… Box did something to his shoulder, spent time in a sling and with a cast. Cooper broke his leg…" Jack chuckled, "It's mean to laugh, but seeing that oversized Californian on crutches… He looked so misplaced. They even had to find some extra large crutches for him, the regular kind wasn't tall enough."

Michelle smirked, "Well, duh… The guy is quite tall…"

Jack nodded.

"Duncan got that big scar across his face, got thrown around a good bit. Had some cuts and bruises pretty much all over… Pete was pretty much the same, bruises, cuts, but he lost his leg too…"

Michelle nodded, she felt bad for all of her new friends and what they had gone through. But they seemed to be holding up nicely.

"You got a concussion too?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, lost my hearing for a while too. Guess that happens when an RPG sets off a mine not too far away from you…"

"Shit…" Michelle whispered, Jack nodded.

"But we still had to take care of whoever was shooting at us. Mac had managed to crawl out in the minefield, he was our EOD… I made it back to the vehicles, Mac had used crackers to mark the trail he had cleared. Me, Coop and Boxer, we headed for the village. At some point we almost got hit by an RPG, that's when Boxer messed up his arm and Cooper broke his leg."

Michelle listened intently, like it was the most exciting story she had heard in a good while.

"We snuck into this building, but it turned out that one of the snipers we were looking for were on top of it. Second time I went into the room where the ladder up to the roof was, the guy was waiting for me. Blew a couple holes in my vest. One went through." Jack explained and tapped a couple of fingers over the scar, "We finished up, had Coop flown out of the village and over to the vehicles we had started at, he had been tagged in the helmet by one of the snipers, plus the broken leg would have slowed him down a lot…"

Michelle nodded.

"I had to make a run to allow the air support to shoot up some folks right behind the wall of the village, they had to be confirmed, you know…" Jack pulled a deep breath, "It went well, I was a little short of breath by then… Got back to Box after that shit was done. He backtracked to where we had come from. By then I could barely breathe…"

"Collapsed lung?"

"They told me so, yeah…" Jack nodded, "Worst thing about the whole experience, for my part at least, was that the medic we met by the vehicles stuck what he called a chest tube in me… I don't think I'm lying if I say that hurt worse than gettin' shot in the first place!"

Michelle furrowed her brows at Jack, "Are you sure about that?"

Jack looked at her for a few seconds, before he shook his head, "Not entirely, no… But it hurt real bad…"

Michelle nodded, "I bet!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"What do you think?" Jack asked and tapped his fingers on her waist. Take a dip, get out clothes back on and get back to the guys? I bet they miss us by now…"

Michelle nodded, "They'll probably have questions if we stay much longer…"

Jack chuckled, then he nodded, "Yeah, they probably will!"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

They all stayed until Monday evening. Then Boxer's guests packed up and headed in every direction. Well, Cooper, Dunc and Pete, and their rented minivan headed for the airport, Jack and Michelle headed for Sealy.

It was hard to say good bye, just as hard as it should be after a fun weekend with your friends. Friends you seldom see.

They all wished each other the best of luck, and hugs were administered wherever you turned. Like Ma Dalton had said, 'We hug our friends 'round here…'

 **Okay, desperately trying to shove this one back into the fast track. I've got a couple of pre-written chapters I like pretty darn much. (And I hope you'll like them too, once I get around to posting them… There's still a few more chapters between here and there though…**


	42. Chapter 42

**Okay… Miniature chapter.**

"You're heading out?" Jack mused as he watched Michelle grab her purse, "Isn't that a little early? I thought we were headed for the bar in a couple of hours…"

Michelle nodded but kept on getting ready, "I've got a doctor's appointment…"

Jack's head snapped up, "Are you alright? Do you need me there?"

She laughed, "I'm totally fine! Just figured I could start taking a little pill every day, rather than having to put on a condom every time we want some…"

Jack grinned, "Okay… Sure you don't want me to tag along?"

Michelle nodded, "There's nothing exciting about this. It's a routine appointment, and I'll be right back here…"

Jack nodded, "Okay."

 **Okay, shortest chapter ever! I know. But you got 2 chapters today to make up for it. It just didn't fit with the previous, or the next. But I wanted to have this here…**


	43. Chapter 43

**Okay, to get some pace into this story again, I decided to skip ahead a little bit. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Yeah, this is about a month later… Ma Dalton's planned family reunion.**

Nick looked over at Anna with a bright smile on his face, "You ready for this?"

"Meeting your family? Sure!" she laughed, "You sure YOU are ready?"

Nick bit his lower lip looking at the old house. He nodded. "If you promise not to get scared away by the bunch you're about to meet."

Anna shook her head, "If they're your family, then they are probably just fine."

Nick scrounged up his nose, chuckling. "Well, my brother might be a bit much sometimes. And a few of my nieces and nephews will probably be a little high on sugar…"

Anna giggled and looked at the other parked cars. "Can't be that bad, you met my family… You survived…"

Nick chortled, "Barely…"

Anna shook her head, trying not to let her laughter take control over her. "Okay, that was a bit crazy. Uncle Roy and uncle Jesse never learn… They start talking sports and things just escalate…"

Nick nodded. "It was fun though…"

Anna nodded.

"We should go find the others, they are probably in the back…" Nick shrugged as he unbuckled his belt, before taking the time to lean over and place a kiss on Anna's cheek.

She nodded as she blushed, then she unbuckled her own seatbelt and slipped out from the SUV.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Nick had his arm around Anna's shoulders as they rounded the corner of the house. He saw the grill was lit and a few of his sisters were busy setting salads and other things on the long outdoor table that had been in the yard since he was a kid. (Okay, it might have been changed out a time or two. But it was the same handcrafted style as back in the 70s.)

He smiled as he saw his mom coming out from the house, a basket full of biscuits in her hands. He couldn't wait to eat himself almost sick on those.

He laughed as he realized who was manning the grill. The stocky figure was easily recognizable, but there were more silver in his hair than what Nick remembered.

"Come over here with me, you must meet this guy!" Nick whispered to Anna, guiding her after himself.

"Hey Boxer…" Nick grinned a couple of feet behind the shorter man.

Boxer turned on his heel, quickly looking the other Texan up and down before spreading his arms open wide. "Nicky! It's been too damn long!"

Nick nodded as they wrapped each other in that classic bro-hug. Then they pushed each other out on an arm-length's distance, studying each other.

"You got bigger…" Boxer teased tapping the back of his hand against Nick's midriff. A Cheshire grin over white teeth.

"And you got uglier…" Nick chuckled, wiping moisture away from his eyes.

Boxer laughed, "What? I thought I was starting to look better…"

"Nah, that's your eyesight going bad…" Nick shook his head, "'Bout time to start with glasses you know!"

"And here I thought all these fine lines I had collected was starting to erase themselves…" Boxer chuckled.

"Man, it's good to see ya!"

"You too brother…" Boxer agreed.

"Speaking of brother, have you seen the third musketeer?"

Boxer nodded, "Yeah, he was gettin' ready when I left. He's staying at my place. Too many little ones running around here y'know…"

Nick nodded.

"And you must be Anna?" Boxer leaned sideways to get a better view of Nick's fiancée.

The tall blonde smiled and nodded at Boxer, "Yeah, I am! You're not his twin, I assume…"

Boxer chuckled, "No, I'm not… I'm Claude Boxer, just call me Boxer, or Box… Jack he's comin' in a bit. Just had to get ready…"

"Nice to meet you Boxer…" she grinned back, shaking the man's hand. Her hand drowned in his.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Are you sure I look good enough?" Michelle asked, as she zipped up her dress. It was the fourth one she had tried on.

"Yes honey!" Jack chuckled, "This one and the three other ones. You look fantastic! But trust me, you could show up in your bar attire and you would blend in just as well…"

"Am I going to be overdressed?"

Jack shrugged, "It's not too over the top. You could definitely walk around in town, broad daylight with that thing and people wouldn't bat an eye… I think we're good."

"Are anyone else going to be wearing a dress?"

Jack threw his hands up, an apologetic expression on his face, "I don't know, how should I know?"

Michelle chuckled, then she shook her head. "I don't know… Maybe because you've been at family reunions with your family before?"

Jack shrugged, "Most times it's just been us… Just the family, sisters, mama, Nick and me… No reason to get dressed up… I think Ma even got surprised if I bothered to put on a clean t-shirt…"

Michelle chuckled, "Okay, so this dress is okay?"

Jack nodded, "It's perfect… -Just like you!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Awww… Look at the two of you!" Caroline beamed as Jack and Michelle finally made it to the party. She hugged them both in turn before she stepped back and admired them, "Michelle, that dress is just lovely! Is it new?"

Michelle shook her head, "No, it's a couple of years old. But I love the cut, makes me seem a bit taller, you know…"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, in fact. It does…"

"Funny thing is, she doesn't realize that she's absolutely perfect just as she is…" Jack winked at his mom, "She doesn't need to look any taller, or shorter for that matter…"

Michelle grinned up at Jack who placed an arm around her shoulders.

"You're perfect…" she whispered.

Caroline grinned, she loved seeing her boy all in love. The real kind of love, the kind that mattered.

"And you Whiskey, you've found some pretty nice clothes too!" Caroline smiled, touching the fabric of his shirt.

"She picked it out," he nodded towards Michelle, then he held up his right hand, it was still encased by fiberglass "She might have helped me button it up too…"

Caroline nodded, and took a closer look at the cast. "How is your hand by the way?"

Jack shrugged, "Feels fine, but it's immobilized so I don't really know. Might be very sore after I get the cast off next week…"

Caroline nodded.

Michelle wrapped her arms around Jack's waist, "Will be good to get that clumpy thing off, huh?"

Jack nodded, "Always is…"

The three of them stood and looked at each other for a little while. Jack was happy to be with the woman he loved, and back home at his ma's place. Michelle was happy to be with Jack. Caroline was happy to have her son home, and as an added bonus he had a beautiful girl with him.

"Well, come on! The rest of the folks are waiting out back!" Caroline smiled.

 **Okay, due to the fact that I actually have a little over a week's worth of vacation starting about now, I figured I needed to part the family reunion into different chapters. Chapters might come out a little sporadic over the next couple of weeks.  
**


	44. Chapter 44

**Thanks for your understanding when it comes to the chapter thingy…**

 **Okay, so… Hope you enjoy!**

Michelle leaned close to Jack as they walked towards the rest of Jack's family. Jack smiled and pressed her closer.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Theresa looked up just in time to see Jack enter the backyard. Her older brother had a cast on his right arm, no surprises there, but the woman beside him… That was a pleasant surprise, especially the way they seemed to belong together. Like they with every movement told the world, 'this one belongs with me…'

She picked up Hannah and headed for the last two people to arrive. She had heard of this 'Michelle' but she had yet to meet her.

"Tessa!" Jack grinned, his eyes glistening with stars as he saw them, "And cute little Hannah!"

Theresa smiled and adjusted her hold on her daughter so the baby would face the couple instead.

"Hi-ya baby… You remember uncle Jackie?" Jack grinned as he bent down to try to make eye contact with the baby, he brought his left hand up for the baby to wrap her hand around his fingers. "It's me who is gonna teach you all you want to know about football. I'll let you know which team we're cheering for… And which teams we consider as mortal enemies…"

The six month old baby kicked out and made a sharp noise.

That's what I'm talking about girl…" Jack grinned.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Theresa, 'Tessa', and Michelle had barely been introduced to each other when one of the other Dalton sisters called out for Tessa.

"Here, can you take her for a bit?" Theresa asked handing over Hannah to Michelle, who ended up with that 'now what?' expression, before she looked down at the grinning little girl and her heart melted like an icicle in Death Valley.

"She's a cute one, ain't she?" Jack grinned.

Michelle nodded, "She is…"

"Shhhh… I was talkin' to Hannah…" Jack chuckled, offering Michelle a flirtatious wink.

Michelle couldn't help but blush. Then she directed her attention to the infant in her arms, whispering, "Don't tell your uncle this, but I think he's very handsome… Can you keep that a secret? Just between the two of us?"

Jack grinned, quietly imagining a day in the future when that same woman could possibly be holding their daughter, or son. He wouldn't get his hopes up, he knew how his line of work worked. You never really got to enjoy the slow and quiet family life. It just never happened.

He smiled and enjoyed the moment, also taking the liberty to have a quick daydream where he and Michelle had like four or five kids of their own, but then it was back to reality again when Tessa came back to them and could carry Hannah around on her own again.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack!" a VERY familiar voice called out from behind them. Both Jack and Michelle turned abruptly to find exactly who they thought they would find.

Michelle's jaw went slack as she saw Jack's twin brother for the first time. They were so alike each other that it was almost unbelievable. The only differences between them was a few pounds, the way they 'styled' their facial hair and haircut. Other than that, they were identical. Same eyes, same smile. They even walked similar.

"Man, good to see ya!" Nick grinned as he jogged over. He stopped as he came close enough to hold a regular conversation, then he looked her over. "And you're the one Ma hasn't stopped chattin' about… Nice to finally meet ya…"

He held his hand out to shake hers, but she already knew what came next. She was not mistaken. She had strong arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"Nice to see ya brother…" Jack grinned, before being wrapped in his brother's arms himself once he let go of Michelle. "How are ya doin'?"

"I'm good. Great!" Nick grinned as he stepped back, one hand lingering on Jack's left shoulder. He looked Jack up and down, "You're obviously doing great too. They obviously haven't made a pen-pusher of you yet…"

The last comment was delivered with a nod towards Jack's cast.

Jack chuckled, "It'll be a cold day in hell when that happens…"

"Well, people are debating whether hell is cold or warm, you know…" Nick chuckled, "But, I wouldn't like to be one of your colleagues if you were forced to be in an office all day. I actually think that could have been dangerous…"

"You're probably right…" Jack chuckled.

Nick did too. Then he looked Jack up and down, a slightly annoyed look on his face, "Man… I was wondering why Box mentioned that I had gotten bigger… Think I've been pretty stable the last four years… But now I get it."

Jack looked down at himself. He had to admit, there were a bit of difference from his own agent-and-army-lifestyle body and to his brother's more comfortable looking body,

"What?"

"You're getting skinnier every time I see ya…" Nick chuckled and pointed at Jack's waist, "Withering away to nothing, that's what you're doin'"

Jack laughed, pushing his belly out to make it look bigger, then he wrapped an arm around Michelle's shoulders. "Nah… The way this one's been feedin' me I'm getting fat soon…"

Michelle couldn't help but chuckle.

"Would you mind that honey?" Jack looked down at her, his cast resting over the stomach he was working so hard to stick out.

She shook her head, "Would I have been feeding ya so darn much if I was afraid of you getting a little chubby?"

Jack shrugged.

"-I'm not afraid of that…" Michelle assured him.

"But would you prefer it?"

Michelle shrugged, "I want you to be comfortable. Whether that is like how you are now, or with 20 pounds extra… -Or more…"

Jack smirked, still looking down at Michelle. "So you're prepared for the future?"

She chuckled again, "As long as you're prepared for me getting fat and ugly, then I'll be prepared for you…"

"Nah… You'll never get ugly…" Jack winked, "That's impossible. Whatever else might happen, that I can handle…"

"Well, I think Box is about finished BBQ-ing, so… Maybe we should head on over?" Nick offered, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the table.

 **Okay, short little thing, I know…  
This family reunion looks like it will take more chapters than I thought…**

 **-And what do you think about that snippet with Tessa and Hannah?**


	45. Chapter 45

**Okay… Let's see where this goes…**

Jack watched as Nick pushed himself to his feet after the feast. He didn't like the way his twin couldn't straighten up, or the way he limped like an old man the first stretch after getting up. He looked over at Boxer, and saw the same slightly worried expression as he had on his buddy.

After about fifteen yards, his twin was able to force himself into a tall standing position. And the heavy limp started fading.

MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016

Jack pushed off of his own chair a little later and headed for the cooler. Another beer would be nice. He cracked it open and took a sip. The cold beer felt nice against his tongue.

He looked over at Michelle, she was sandwiched between two of his youngest sisters. All three of them were smiling and laughing. He didn't have to offer to rescue her in other words.

Anna was talking to Mary. They looked like they were enjoying each other's company too.

Then he looked over at Boxer. He sat by Jack's mom. His arms moving as he told whatever story he told. Jack couldn't be sure, but by the way Box's hands moved, he almost thought he could guess which story was being told. Almost. –No need to interrupt them while they talked about some old camping trip the three boys and the fathers had been on decades ago.

He took another sip of the newly opened beer, and looked towards the old oak tree. Nick sat in the shade, their mother's dog on one side of his chair. His hand was scratching the dog's shoulder, and it wagged joyfully. His other hand was wrapped around a beer.

Jack made his way over, and sat down in the chair beside him. He cast a glance down at Nick's legs. His twin had them stretched out in front of him. Then he studied his face.

"How are you holdin' up?" Jack asked with a drawl.

Nick nodded, offering a smile. "I'm doing good… Didn't we cover that already?"

Jack shrugged, then he pointed towards his twin's legs. "Saw you limping earlier… But you didn't when we first met you today…"

"Yeah…" Nick shrugged, "Just age catching up with me I guess… All these years of squatting at crime scenes… My knees are toast, it gets better after a little while. But getting up…" Nick grimaced to give a visual of how that felt.

Jack chuckled, "So… You're getting' old…"

Nick chuckled, "Then why the heck are you looking like nothing's bothering ya? You're older!"

Jack shrugged, "I'm lucky… Got more good days than bad ones I guess."

Okay, that was all a lie. Some part of him ached constantly, but to be honest, he couldn't remember a time when he didn't hurt. Rodeo's when he was younger, crazy stunts he and the two others had pulled (he was always the first one to try it, and if he got hurt then the two other ones wouldn't go…), lots of fights, dislocated fingers, shoulders, kneecap on an occation or two… Fractures which hadn't been allowed to heal straight away, because of his stupid stubbornness. Taking a 'few' bullets during his time… It all added up to something ALWAYS aching.  
But it was alright. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, and if he really, REALLY, couldn't function a day, all he had to do was call up Matty. She understood, all he needed to say was that something was actin' up, and he wouldn't get called in to work. (Patricia had also been very understanding of that.)  
He had only done that 5 times during his years at Phoenix, (or DXS, when it was called that). But, he had been forced home more times. One time even by the man at the front desk. _'Dalton, you look worse than the rodent my cat dragged in last night. Get yourself home and get some rest!'_ And of course he had been on sick leave a whole bunch of times, but that was mandatory. And even he knew that he wouldn't be able to do his job when he had cast stretching from his hip to his toes.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, well… It wasn't so bad before I got thrown over a balcony a few years back. Popped a few discs in my lower back. I'll tell you what, that shit can strike like a bolt out of the clear blue sky…"

Jack nodded knowingly. "So… That's what you have to deal with all of the time?"

Nick shook his head, "No… Not all of the time. Just been having a couple of mildly annoying weeks with my back now… It'll get better…"

Jack nodded, "Have you been to the doctor? Asked about surgery? That could make it better…"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, but the doctor says it would be too dangerous. Says I could become paralyzed, and honestly… That back of mine isn't bad enough for me to risk that yet…"

Jack nodded, he knew the risk was involved. He had been made very clear of that himself a few years ago. But he had gone through with the surgery, he couldn't work if he couldn't fight. And if he couldn't work, then he wouldn't know what to do with himself. At least not back then. –None of his family members knew he had gone through that though. He hadn't gone out of his way to keep it a secret, he just hadn't bothered telling them.

"I get that…" Jack nodded, "And your knees? How are they?"

Nick let out a short laugh, "They get better if I keep in motion, but sometimes I overdo it, and then it gets worse…"

"Just wear and tear, or have you injured them too?"

Nick shook his head, "No, just wear and tear… Guess it's not healthy logging thousands of hours hunched back on your heels…"

Jack chuckled, then he took a deep breath. "Thought about replacing them? I've heard that's pretty safe…"

Jack hadn't required full knee replacement surgery, but he had done just about everything else. He also knew he probably had the replacement surgery coming for him sometime in the future. But not yet.

Nick nodded, "Yeah, I might have to do that. But I'd like to put it off as long as possible. I mean, those things don't last forever, do they?"

Jack shrugged, "Dunno…"

Nick sighed, "Well, I can still work, and it doesn't bother me too much yet… I'll wait…"

They both fell silent for a while. Sipping their cold beers and watching the people they loved.

"So…" Jack broke the silence, "Anna… Seems like a tough girl…"

Nick chuckled, "You wouldn't believe it…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack raised an eyebrow towards his twin.

"She's tough, yeah." Nick nodded, "She's a climbing instructor. She loves paragliding, skydiving and all that other crazy stuff you'd probably get a kick out of…"

Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "Has she gotten you to try out any of that stuff?"

"Paragliding, yes." Nick nodded, "That was how we met…"

"What? I thought you were getting boring in your older years!" Jack teased, knowing his brother wouldn't take it in a bad way.

Nick shook his head as he grinned, "Nah… Tested out paragliding while I still worked in Vegas. Kinda liked it… One day a few of my colleagues and I decided to take a class. I have to admit, it had been a while so I figured I should brush up on it before going out on my own. Anna was my instructor…"

Jack chortled, "Got the hots for the teacher?"

Nick glared over at his twin, before he also broke out laughing. "Okay… Okay. But can you blame me?"

Jack shook his head, "No… Seems like an awesome girl. Big question here is, why would she end up with a loser like you?"

"Aw, that one hurt Jackass…" Nick chuckled lightly, "I don't know, maybe she likes intellectuals?"

"Or maybe she's blind…" Jack teased.

"You know we're identical twins? Right? I might have a few more pounds than you stunt-boy, but what you just said backfired." Nick reached out his arm and shoved Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah… Might not have thought that one through…" Jack admitted with a shy smirk. "You're happy?"

Nick nodded, "Very."

"Mom said you had gotten engaged… Any knowledge of when the big day is?"

Nick shook his head.

"You're engaged, but you haven't thought about the wedding day yet?" Jack raised his eyebrows at his brother, "And here I thought you always had everything planned down to the very last detail!"

"Since when have I ever done that?" Nick chuckled, "No… We haven't decided on the date yet, but we're thinking spring wedding, or summer…"

Jack nodded, "A suit's gonna be pretty warm in the summer, bet a dress will be too…"

Nick nodded, then he placed one arm behind his neck and looked back at the crowd again.

"So… Michelle…" he started, tilting his head sideways. "Seems like a good choice for you…"

"Choice?"

"You know what I mean…" Nick chuckled.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I actually think she's the one…"

"The one –one?" Nick gazed back at him, eyes drilling into his.

Jack didn't hesitate when he nodded.

"Well, are you gonna tell me about her, or what?"

"She's the best. In every way!"

There was a long pause, Jack didn't tell anymore, but Nick kept waiting for him to continue.

"Aw, come on!" Nick groaned, "You can't just stop right there!"

Jack chuckled, "Okay…"

Nick angled himself so that it would be easier to see Jack as he talked about Michelle.

"She's kind. Gentle, but rough. She's fun to be around, and when she smiles… Man, I could swear my heart was about to stop when she smiled at me the first time!"

Nick chuckled at the look on Jack's face. "You're definitely in love…"

"Yeah, I figured that!" Jack grinned. "And she can cook! It's a miracle I don't look like old Josh. I've been living on her home cooked treats for about a month straight now. I swear, anything she makes, it'll be the best thing you ever tasted!"

"Well, Ma's a pretty good cook…" Nick interrupted.

"Yeah, she is. But this… This is next level…" Jack pointed two cast-covered fingers in Nick's direction. "Just wait until you get the chance to have some of it…"

Nick grinned and held his hands up defensively, "Okay, no need to get fired up!"

Jack chuckled, "I'm just sayin' she's a damn fine cook…"

Nick nodded, "Well, I can't wait to get to try out her food then…"

 **Okay… Think this chapter will have to end here… Hope you liked it…**


	46. Chapter 46

**Another day, another chapter. Hope I'm not boring ya…**

Emma, Christine's youngest kid had really taken a liking to her new aunt. The three year old was curled up on Michelle's lap while the adults talked.

As the day had progressed, Michelle started thinking more and more about starting a family. These kids were adorable. What if Jack and her could have a little bunch of their own? If they turned out half as cute as Hannah and Emma, she wouldn't be able to keep her eyes away from her future babies.

"Thinkin' 'bout gettin' one of your own?" Tessa leaned in closer to ask.

Michelle blushed and shrugged her shoulders.

"-You are!" Tessa grinned.

"Kinda… In the future…" Michelle admitted, "But I don't want to rush it… And we haven't been together for _that long_ yet…"

Tessa shrugged, "Missy had been together with her boyfriend for six weeks when she found out she was pregnant… They are still together… I can barely remember the time they weren't together…"

Michelle smirked, "Well, given all of the sucker-punches life has given me when it comes to love, I tend to be a little careful when it comes to planning big stuff like that…"

Tessa shrugged, "Understandable… But don't let a shitty past stop you from embracing the future…"

Michelle grinned and cast a glance towards where the men had sat.

MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016

"You think this will last?" Rita asked Mary. They had gone inside to do the dishes.

"What? Jack and Michelle?"

Rita nodded.

"I hope so…" Mary shrugged, craning her neck to look out the window, "She's an adorable girl, and in no doubt good for that brother of ours…"

Rita chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. Have you seen how calm he is?"

Mary nodded, "Yeah, usually when he's hurt, but not immobile, he starts pacing, and he just doesn't stop…"

Rita nodded. "Yeah, unless he's in too much pain, but then he gets grumpy…"

"True…"

"But he's just been hanging around all day. He hasn't gone around restlessly, he hasn't thrown around rude comments. He hasn't plotted his next Evel Knievel move either…" Rita shrugged, "She's good for him. I hope this lasts too…"

Mary nodded.

MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016

It had been a fun party, but as all good things, it had to come to an end. It was about 2 a.m. when Jack and Michelle said good bye to the few others still at Caroline's place. It would be nice to get back to Boxer's place, and crawl under the covers.

"Did you have fun?" he asked right before he turned the key in the ignition.

She nodded, "Yeah…"

"They didn't manage to scare you away from me?"

"No…" she let out a small laugh. "No, they were really sweet. I like them…"

Jack grinned, "Good…"

 **Okay, small chapter, I know… Sorry…**


	47. Chapter 47

**Okay… Soo… FAST TRACK CHAPTER! (Sort of)**

Jack kissed her as they stood by the steps of her front porch. He had one hand behind her neck, the other one resting at her hip. He had gotten the cast off a couple of days ago, and it still felt a little weird not to have the fiberglass immobilizing almost everything below his elbow.

He pulled back, "Crap… I don't wanna leave…"

She nodded and pressed her head against his chest. "I would love it if you didn't have to leave…"

Jack nodded, "I know… Me too…"

Michelle placed one hand behind his neck, pulling him towards her as she stood up on her tip toes. Their lips met again for a short peck.

"But hey, it won't be too long this time…" she whispered.

He nodded and pressed her against him. "Just a few short weeks. Six weeks and I'll be back here…"

 **MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016**

"Hey Sugar…" he whispered into the phone, "Just needed to hear your voice…"

Michelle smiled, then she thought better of it. The way his voice sounded wasn't right.

"Rough day?"

"Yeah…" he sighed, "Very…"

"Are you OK? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm not. Mac and Riley are fine too…"

"That's good…" Michelle relaxed, "You're sure you're not hurt…?"

He let out a short laugh, "Yeah, not hurt. Just a rough mission, glad it's over."

Michelle got the feeling that the mission was worse than what Jack let on. She knew a bit about what Jack could handle, and for him to have to call her like this? It had to be bad.

"You gonna be alright?"

He laughed, "Yeah, always…"

"You sure? 'Cause I could make it to LA this weekend if you need me to…"

There was a couple of seconds of silence, "No. Hearing your voice was enough. And it's just a couple of weeks left before I'm back in Sealy…"

"Okay, I can't wait to see you, you know…"

"I love you…"

"I love you too, soldier…"

MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016

 _'Hey handsome! How are  
you doing? I'm here at  
home making dinner for  
one… It's boring…  
Counting down the days  
until you're back  
with me… 3'_

 _'Darlin' I'm doin fine.  
Can't wait to see ya  
again. Great, your  
makin me hungry. Miss  
your home cookin', and  
most off all I miss  
you. Can't wait to  
wrap you in my arms.'_

 _'Haha! Can't wait  
for that either. Just  
15 more days. That's  
all… Love you!'_

 _'Love you two!'_

 **MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016**

"Hi, Just calling to ask what you want for dinner tomorrow when you get here…" Michelle started off as soon as Jack picked up the phone.

"Oh, hey!" he grinned, "Whatever you want to make is fine. You know I love everything you make."

"Can't you just pick something. I don't know what to make…"

"Is it difficult to make those chicken things with the cheese and green stuff inside?"

Michelle laughed, "No, that's just about the easiest stuff I make…"

"Okay, I guess that would be awesome food." Jack grinned.

"I'll have some chicken stuffed with mozzarella and pesto ready for when you get here then. When do you think you'll be here?"

"Around 8 p.m. I guess, plane is supposed to land 5.30 p.m."

 **MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016**

Her feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted down her stairs and over to the rented truck that had just pulled up in her truck. He slid out of the truck, arms held out ready to wrap around her.

He picked her up off the ground and swung her around. Their lips met for a kiss before her feet came back on the ground, they stayed like that for a good while. Slow, longing kisses shared in the middle between the truck and the porch.

"Missed you…" he whispered as their lips parted.

She nodded, "Missed you too!"

 **MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016**

He pulled out, and climbed next to her. They were both still breathing heavily. She rolled over and placed her head on his chest. She could hear his heart pumping wildly, just like her own.

It was like electrical currents, washing over her. She couldn't help but twist in the wake of them. It felt good. It all felt right with him.

She felt him press his lips down at the top of her head, "Damn, I love you…"

She used her arm draped across his chest to pull him closer for a brief second. A reassuring hug. "Love you too, handsome…"

He pulled her closer with the arm he had under her head, his hand resting at her waist.

He looked down at her, soft smile visible in the moonlight coming in through the windows. Then he whispered, "You're the best freaking thing that ever happened to me…"

She grinned, and pushed herself up to kiss his lips. "No, _you're_ the best thing that happened to _me_ …"

 **MACGYVER2O16MACGYVER2016**

Ice cream at the diner. Popcorn at the movies. Dancing at the bar (What? No… He didn't dance. –With anybody but her…)

Cuddling on the couch with the TV on. Making food together. Sleeping in together.

Tickle wars, the occasional water balloon…

Stolen kisses.

Back rubs.

Waking up wrapped around each other.

Bliss.

 **Okay, like I said. This was a fast forward chapter. Hope you liked it. Next chapter is going to be really REALLY short. Think the pure text is like 250 words or so… (252 to be exact…)  
But I couldn't put it together with this, or the chapter after it…  
-Hope you liked this.**

 **And… I tried to put some typos in Jack's texts. I cringed. –And I didn't do the best job with making deliberate typos in this one…**


	48. Chapter 48

**Short-shortie chapter. Sorry. It needs to be here. I need this transition.**

Two weeks came and went since he came back to Sealy. He found himself on the steps of her front porch. It was a little before 3 p.m., a little before they would head on over to her bar. It was her shift.

He fought against his emotions. One day left. Leaving her had just gotten worse and worse for every time they had been together. If he had to do it again, it would literally tear him apart. That's how it felt anyhow…

He realized he couldn't live like this no more. That this back and forth between California and Texas had to stop. It was hurting him, hurting both of them.

He wasn't ready to retire, who the hell would look after that blond kid who would most likely get himself killed if Jack wasn't there? Who would look after Riley? And Bozer? True, true… The rest of the team had made it through some impressive missions while he had been recovering from injuries, but he couldn't just leave them to themselves full time… That wouldn't be right. Not for something as selfish as love.

But he didn't want to leave Michelle.

He looked at the horizon. Dark clouds to the east, burning sun to the west. The next day was either going to be a bright blue sky, or one hell of a thunderstorm. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

He was leaving tomorrow, and this back and forth needed to be put to an end.

 **Pre written chapters will start now and go for a few chapters until I'm back to posting as I write. Lost track of how many pre-written chapters I have. –Think it's 3 or so…  
Okay, hope you enjoy!**


	49. Chapter 49

**Okay, so I wrote this chapter a little while ago… Back when I was writing chapter 38… I did it because I got bored with where I was at, and I needed to skip ahead, but the story wouldn't allow that. So I wrote this, and then the previous 10 or so chapters.**

"So…" Michelle sighed, leaning on the wooden pillar of her front porch. "This is it…"

Jack nodded.

"Leaving…" Michelle trapped her lower lip between her teeth to keep from crying.

Jack swallowed hard and brought his hands up to wipe away the tears that were forming in his eyes. It didn't really matter, the rain camouflaged it all. "Yeah. Sorry."

Michelle leaned her head against the pillar, fighting tears and the lump forming in her throat.

"I don't want you to leave…" Michelle whispered heartbroken.

"This won't work out…" Jack clenched his hands into fists, the muscles on his forearms were dancing. "We can't keep doing this… This way will be better…"

Michelle shook her head, "No…"

Jack's lips formed a thin line over his teeth, his brow's knitting together. His right hand came up to clasp the back of his neck. He squeezed hard, hard enough to probably leave a bruise later on.

"No, it isn't…" Michelle sniffled, "This feels even worse…"

Jack looked away, tears trickling down his face "You deserve someone better…"

"I don't want anyone else…" Michelle muttered as her legs gave out from under her and she sank down on her stairs.

"You deserve the world. You deserve a man who's… Who's…" Jack sniffled and looked away, "Someone who's there for you. All the time. Someone to grow old with, together…"

Michelle sobbed, tucking her knees up to her chest. Hiding her face in her elbows.

"Darlin' don't cry…" Jack begged, his voice breaking.

"Then don't leave me!" Michelle barked out.

Jack grit his teeth and looked down at his bag. He bent down and picked it up.

"You deserve better… Bye…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle watched as Jack walked away, the hesitation in his steps was a special kind of torture that told her that neither of them wanted this to happen. But she knew he wouldn't stop, knew he wouldn't turn around and come back to her.

She sucked on her lip and her breath hitched.

As he reached the old pickup, she whispered under her breath, "Please don't leave…"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Jack cussed himself as he drove north towards Daingerfield. Michelle was by far the best thing that had ever happened to him, and now he had gone and messed that up too.

He drove a couple of miles in the pouring rain, before he had to stop. The rain made it almost impossible to see the road. And all of the tears were blurring up his vision, making it next to impossible to see the steering wheel.

He punched the dashboard, before he leaned forward and hugged the steering wheel. There was no control, no end in sight, he cried. Cried until he was all tired and no longer managed to hold his body upright. Cried until his eyes were dry and his head hurt. Cried until he couldn't.

 **And that my friends, is where I'll leave you hanging!**

 **(sorry, I'm evil, aren't I)**


	50. Chapter 50

**Okay, I'm evil… Nothing new there… *grins***

 **I will continue to pull the rug out from under these people (for a little while). Hope you don't mind…**

Danny looked over at his sister. They were both working at the bar tonight, but she didn't have her head in the game.

He understood that. Really, he did.

But she looked so lost, so tired, so miserable.

"Hey, sis…" he started, trying to move into her line of sight. She just shrugged him off.

"Michelle?" Danny reached out for her arm, but she pulled it to herself.

"Not now Danny…" she mumbled and headed for the storage room.

Danny was left standing next to the beer tap, feeling an immense amount of sorrow for his sister. His sister who ALWAYS bounced back.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack! What the DAMN HELL are you doing!" Riley shrieked over the coms. She had her computer in front of her, and was watching over the building's security camera feed.

"Nothin'…" Jack drawled, bad temper shining through like a neon sign in the night.

He had the backup to his backup in his right hand, and was moving efficiently towards the room where they knew the package was. They also knew five armed guards were there. –And by Riley's calculations, Jack had about three bullets left.

Jack rounded a corner and took out the two men waiting there.

Scratch that, _maybe_ one bullet.

"Jack! It's a suicide mission! ABORT!" Matty's voice came through his ear piece.

Jack didn't answer.

"Jack! That's a direct order, ABORT MISSION!" Matty repeated, her voice held even more authority than usual. When she realized it was in vain, she directed herself to Mac instead, she had to switch channels on her communication device. Their intercoms had input on two frequencies at the same time, something which allowed her to talk to the whole group, or single one out if necessary. Now she switched it back to the whole group. "Mac, can you hear me?"

"Yeah Matty," Mac answered, "What's going on?"

"Are you in a position to get to the conference room?" Matty asked.

"In a few minutes, maybe…" Mac grit out, "Still working on that explosive device we found, haven't managed to stop it yet. And I don't want this one to blow up…"

"I get that honey… But the bonehead you have for a partner really needs to be stopped right about now. –Before he gets himself killed!" Matty sighed as she paced back and forth inside her office. She couldn't help it, she really cared for all of her employees, even Jack. Maybe even especially Jack.

"I can handle this." Jack growled, "I don't need your stinkin' opinion!"

"Mac?" Matty inquired.

"Jack, I thought we agreed on this… We would never do something stupid alone ever again… Remember?"

"Just stop the damn bomb!" Jack barked back, as he kicked open another door. There were no one inside.

"Mac… Hurry…" Riley begged, her voice was thin and frail. She couldn't remember seeing Jack like this, but she knew that _this_ might be the time she lost him. Lost her _dad_. She didn't want that to happen.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac wasn't quick enough to reach Jack before he reached the conference room where the 'package' was thought to be. Or quick enough to help him defeat the mercenaries waiting there for him.

Jack had managed to take out four of the mercenaries that guarded the package before the last one had gotten in a good hit on him.

Mac entered the room just as the fifth mercenary stepped towards Jack, gun in hand, aiming at Jack's head. Jack didn't struggle, didn't make a move to fight the other man. –Or move out of the gun's aim.

Mac reached for the closest item, and threw it at the man above Jack. Then he propelled himself after it. Sending the mercenary flying when he crashed into him.

A short minute later, the mercenary was beaten unconscious on the ground.

"JACK! WHAT THE HELL?" Mac shouted as he breathed heavily. Then he looked over at Jack, seeing the pain on his friend's face. His voice softened as he knelt down beside Jack, "You hurt buddy?"

Jack grimaced and lifted his right hand from where it was pressing down on his right thigh. Blood oozed from where the bullet had entered.

"Is it a through and through?" Mac asked, reaching for Jack's leg, only to have his hand swatted away by Jack's bloody hand.

"Nah…" Jack gritted out, pressing down on the entrance wound once again.

"So it's stuck in there?"

Jack grimaced and nodded.

"Hit bone?"

Jack growled, "Sure hit something!"

Mac nodded, and looked at the leg. "You're lucky it didn't hit an artery… Or any big veins…"

"Yeah… Lucky…" Jack sighed, less than enthusiastic. There were no joy or relief in his voice. He didn't sound like someone who just cheated death. And it wasn't the pain that blocked those emotions, Mac knew that. He knew Jack too well to believe that.

Mac shot a worried look at Jack, before he focused on Jack's leg again. "I should find something to stop that bleed…"

Jack gritted his teeth, then nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"There, now… You think you can make it outside with my help?" Mac asked after he had used one of the mercenaries' belt to tie off Jack's leg, and the blood flow had slowed to a minimum.

Jack shrugged as Mac placed Jack's arm across his shoulder. "Ready to try to get up? Get your good leg under you…"

"On three. One… Two… Three!" Mac counted and they pushed off the ground together.

Jack only made it a couple of inches off the ground before his leg turned into jelly and he sank back down with a loud scream.

Mac winced at the sound of his best buddy in pain.

"I'll take that as a negative…" Mac frowned, helping Jack into a position that seemed less painful.

Jack nodded, clenching his hands hard enough to make his knuckles crack and the veins to pop out.

"Mac, I can't…" Jack grunted, his back arching in a subconscious effort to get further away from the pain. It only served to cause him more pain. "I'm either gonna pass out or start puking my guts out before I reach that door!"

"We could use an office chair…" Mac shrugged, looking around the room.

"Mac, m' leg feels like a freaking dump-truck parked on it…" Jack grimaced, "I'm not gonna be able to sit on a chair… M' leg 's gonna feel like it's fallin' off…"

Mac nodded and looked at the leg again, "There are more office chairs here, what if we used two? One for you to sit on and one for your leg?"

Jack frowned, then nodded. "A'ight… But you're gonna have to help me up on it…"

Mac nodded, "Already figured that one out old man…"

Jack was in too much pain to be bothered by the stab. "Whatever…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"You're crazy! You know that?" Mac scolded as he wheeled Jack down the corridor, towards the outside. "What's gotten into you?"

Jack cussed as the first chair hooked on an edge on the floor.

"Sorry…" Mac grimaced, "But what happened? The last week, you've been edgy, wild, and with no concern for your own safety! Even less than usual!"

Jack looked away.

"Ever since you got back from Texas-" Mac paused, suddenly realizing what problem was, "Something happened between you and Michelle, right? Didn't it?"

Jack gritted his teeth, and held his breath. He refused to answer.

"What's going on?"

"We broke up…" Jack mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Mac almost yelled, "How?"

Jack shook his head.

"Was it her? You?"

"I broke up with her…"

"Why would you do something like that?" Mac stopped pushing Jack and walked around to face him, "Forget it, I know why! –You have insane commitment issues!"

"I don't have commitment issues!" Jack countered, "I enlisted when I was 18, I've been committed to the army, to the delta force, to the CIA, DXS and now Phoenix ever since! I DON'T HAVE COMMITMENT ISSUES!"

"Oh yeah, you do! Every damn relationship you've ever had with a woman has been blown off because you thought it was getting too serious, or that she would be better off without you!" Mac shouted, "Please tell me it wasn't a messy breakup…"

"It wasn't messy…" Jack sighed, "It was as clean as it could possibly have been…"

Mac shook his head, "So that's what's been messing with you…"

Jack nodded his head.

"Well… First we're going to get your leg patched up. Then we're going to patch up that relationship of yours…"

"I don't think that's possible…" Jack sighed.

"Don't write it off before you've tried…" Mac instructed, "In your heart, you want her, right?"

Jack bit his lip, then he nodded. "-Yeah…"

Mac nodded, "Let's fix your leg, then you call Michelle… This little error of judgement, it could have killed you!""

Jack nodded, "Okay, I'll call her… But she might not want me anymore!"

"You know that's a lie…"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

"Yeah, hello?" Michelle answered.

Her voice had a hollow feel to it, nothing like the warm bubbly voice Mac remembered. And in that instant he knew it would be possible to fix this.

"-Hey, it's Mac…"

"Oh… Mac… Hello…" Michelle tried to smile, but everything that reminded her about Jack, or the fact that he had left her hurt. "What's up?"

Mac swallowed hard, "I'm just calling to give you a head's up…"

"Oh?"

"Jack's going to call you in a few hours, or tomorrow… Whenever he's up to it…" Mac cleared his voice, "Please don't blow him off straight away! He's in the hospital, his head hasn't been right since he left you. He didn't want to, but he's Jack… Things get emotionally serious, and he freaks out…"

"He's in the hospital?" that was the only four words Michelle really caught on to.

"Yeah, well… Our hospital, the one at the Phoenix Foundation." Mac shrugged, "Looks like he'll have to stay there for a while…"

"Do you need me to come over there?" the urgency in her voice told Mac that he didn't have to worry about Michelle blowing Jack off. The genuine worry and heartache he heard told him that this thing was messing equally as much with her as it had with Jack.

"I think Jack would like that…" Mac nodded, "But he'll call you when he's out of surgery, awake and coherent…"

"I could hop on the next plane out of Houston…" Michelle started.

"It's not urgent, he'll be fine…" Mac reassured, "He'll be fine, he will have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks, and he will have to spend a few more weeks on crutches… But the doctor is optimistic, there's hope that he will make a full recovery…"

"Oh my God! What happened?"

"He got shot…"

"SHOT?"

"Yeah, in the thigh…" Mac sighed.

"I'm coming!" Michelle said with determination.

"Well, Jack doesn't know I've called you yet. So act surprised when he calls… Okay?"

"Sure…" Michelle nodded, "He's been shot? Really?"

"Yeah…" Mac nodded.

"I'm on the next available flight to LA." Michelle decided, "I'll text you when I take off and when I land in LA… Okay?"

Mac nodded to himself, "Okay…"

 **Okay, another chapter down… Hope you liked it.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Helloooo! Just me again...  
**

"Heeey… buddy…" Mac whispered as he entered the hospital room, Jack was already awake, "How are you feeling?"

"Been better…" Jack admitted, looking down at where his leg was elevated and held in traction. There was a big dressing covering most of the front of his thigh, and a metal bar was drilled through his leg, above the knee, to pull on it. His leg was held up by a rig, it was basically a metal frame with broad textile bands between the two sides. It acted like a hammock for his leg, keeping it still and elevated. It also ensured that his thigh was in the right angle for the traction to pull correctly.

"I think I should call Michelle now…" Jack thought out loud, his eyes misting up.

"Maybe wait a little bit, huh?" Mac advised, "You sound pretty groggy… She might not understand you…"

It was a lie, he could easily understand what Jack was saying, but Michelle had already sent Mac a message telling him that she was about to board the plane. Jack wouldn't reach her if he called her now.

Jack looked like he was contemplating how life worked, then he nodded. " 'kay… I'll wait…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

 _'Landed 10 mins ago,  
ready to talk if Jack  
is awake by now… How  
is he? Is he in pain?'_

 _'Yeah, he's awake.  
He's been in and out  
a bit, painkillers  
are making the pain  
manageable.  
But he's still  
hurting a lot. I'll  
let him call soon.  
How was your flight?'_

 _'Flight was good…  
But I've been  
worrying about Jack  
the whole way over…'_

 _'I'll make sure he  
calls soon. He can't  
wait to hear your  
voice…' _

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac looked up from sending the last message to find Jack moping down at his leg.

Mac tilted his head, studying Jack a few short seconds.

"Want any coffee?"

Jack shook his head, "Nah…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure…" Jack sighed, "I feel a little nauseous…"

Mac nodded, he knew Jack sometimes had a little struggle with heavy duty painkillers.

"But you're doing okay?"

"I'm not gonna hurl the next ten minutes, if that's what you're thinking about…" Jack shrugged. His face was blank, except for the lines emphasized by the pain itself. Not even Mac could read Jack's expression. The word catatonic popped into Mac's mind. Maybe it wasn't the correct word to describe Jack, but it was what entered Mac's mind anyway.

Mac nodded, and looked at Jack for a few seconds. "You know what? I think she could understand you now…"

"You think I can call her now?" Jack's head snapped up instantly. His face suddenly more animate, a beam of hope shined through his dark eyes.

Mac nodded, "I think you're understandable now…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac had stepped outside to allow Jack to make the call in private.

Jack felt his heart pounding in his chest as the phone rang.

Was she going to pick up when she saw his caller ID? Or was she just gonna let it ring? She had every reason to, he had been a major douchebag.

His heart nearly leapt out of his chest when he heard the buzzing stop and her voice answering "Hello?"

"Michelle…" his voice cracked, "Michelle… It's good to hear your voice…"

"You missed my voice?" Michelle asked, a smile in her voice.

"I've missed you…" Jack admitted, "-And I'm…"

He fell silent.

Michelle waited a little while before she asked, "-And you what?"

"Nothing…" Jack shrugged, "How are you doing?"

"I was missing you…"

"Was?" Jack could feel his heart begin to shatter.

"Yeah, I was missing you so much that I jumped on a plane and I just landed in LA…" Michelle admitted, understanding that Jack would take forever to tell her what was really going on, unless she helped him out a bit.

"YOU'RE IN LA? NOW?" the excitement and shock in his voice was like music to her ear.

"Yeah… I thought I should call Mac in a little while, get some intel on where to find you…"

"Oh, you won't need him to tell you where to find me…" Jack's voice became grimmer towards the end of the sentence, he knew it and she had to have heard it.

"Honey, are you okay?" the worry in her voice was what did it. It broke his walls down and his eyes started producing what felt like gallons of saline solution.

"No." he blinked wildly, trying to rid his eyes of the excessive moisture. "No, I'm not…"

"Are- Are you hurt?"

"Yeah…" his voice gave out. "I'm in the PF hospital now…"

"The Phoenix Foundation hospital?"

"Yeah…"

"How bad is it?"

Jack couldn't reign in the wet sobs that came out of his mouth.

"Oh, baby… Babe, relax… It'll be fine…" Michelle coaxed, "Just tell me what happened…"

"My leg… It's busted. I got shot…" Jack hiccupped, "Shot in the thigh…"

"Oh, honey…" Michelle sighed, "You want me to come visit you there? Or are you getting home soon?"

Jack sniffled, pressing his lips together. "I'm not coming home anytime soon…"

"You're not?"

"No…" Jack took a deep, ragged breath, "I'm laying here with my leg connected to wires… Traction. Doc said I would have to stay a few weeks…"

"Oh, that sucks…" Michelle sighed, "How do I find you? How do I get there?"

Jack sniffled, "I think Mac could drive ya…"

"You think he could?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah… He's right outside my door…"

"Well, if it's not too much trouble for him…"

Jack shook his head, "I don't think he would mind… He's almost as mad at me as I am for breaking up with you…"

A smile spread across her lips. She knew Jack was telling the truth. She knew he had missed her, maybe even almost as much as she had missed him. She doubted it was more, because she couldn't see how that would be possible.

"So… He'll come to pick me up then?"

"I'll talk him into it…" Jack promised, "If he can't, I'm pretty sure Riley would be glad to drive you."

"Then I could finally meet her!" Michelle smiled, "She sounds like a fine young woman whenever you talk about her…"

Jack smiled. "Yeah, well… She's excited to meet you too…"

They fell silent for a little bit. Both of them. Seconds stretched into minutes. It felt like an eternity.

"Hey… Darlin'…" he drawled when the silence had lasted more than long enough, "I was stupid. Total douchebag. A major idiot…"

He paused.

"I'm not an expert at this relationship thing. Truth is, I get scared. I lose my nerve and I screw things up. Has happened every time anything has ever gotten close to serious…" Another pause. "And I made the worst choice of my life last Thursday…"

He couldn't go on. He was left sitting there in his bed, his mouth opening and shutting in an effort to get the words out.

Michelle waited patiently for a minute or so, before she felt forced to say something.

"What do you say we go back to referring to each other as 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'? And keep on with all of our little nicknames…" Michelle offered, she knew Jack struggled.

"YES!"

She smiled, she could hear the joy and relief in Jack's voice.

"I love you, handsome…"

"Darlin'… I love you…" Jack whispered back, and silently added "-and I need you…"

The last part was barely audible for her, but it made her smile like she hadn't done in some time. She needed him too.

 **Okay… That's it for this chapter… See you soon…**


	52. Chapter 52

**Aww, thanks for all the comments! Warms my writer-heart to see them.**

 **Lets get on with this thing, or what?**

Matty wasn't sure if she liked this. She wasn't exactly sure if she liked her employees to be emotionally involved with other people either, but that wasn't something she could be in charge of. And truth be told, Jack had been easier to handle since last June. She had to admit that.

So she guessed this Michelle was a good thing.

But, she wasn't sure if letting her into the Phoenix Foundation, even the medical ward, was a smart move. So she tagged along when Mac went to pick Michelle up at the airport.

"So…" she started, looking over at Mac, "What do you know about Michelle?"

Mac slowed down a bit and looked over at Matty, "What are you thinking about?"

"Who is she? Is she trustworthy? What does she do for a living?"

"Well, the first one is obvious…" Mac shrugged, "She's Jack's girlfriend, you know that…"

"You know that's not what I'm asking…" Matty fixed Mac with a stare, Mac nodded.

"I know…" Mac nodded, "I think she's trustworthy… She's good to Jack, that's really all I need to know."

"Well, I would like to know more…"

"You probably had Riley run a background check on her already, didn't you."

"Not Riley, one of the other techs…" Matty shrugged, "A little bit lower down on the food chain, but a good tech anyway…"

"And…"

"Came back clear…" Matty nodded. "I didn't go into details, just what I strictly needed to know… -She's not a spy of any kind…"

Mac almost laughed, "Well, I didn't expect her to be…"

"Nobody expects your baby-face to be a spy either…" Matty reasoned, and Mac had to agree. "But I didn't look into what she really does. Figured I could use the people who knows her personally for that…"

Mac nodded. "I don't know her that well. Only met her when we were down in Texas for Memorial Day…"

Matty nodded, "But Jack has told you a bit about her, right?"

Mac nodded, "He hasn't told you about her?"

"Bare minimum, our history makes us avoid certain subjects… Like personal relationships."

Mac furrowed his brows and cast a glance over at Matty.

"I'm not going to let you know exactly what our history is…" Matty informed, her eyes on the road. "That's classified."

Mac sighed, and looked back on the road.

"Let me know what you know about her, as a person."

Mac braked slightly for a slower vehicle. Then he nodded.

"She's a bit younger than him, 30s." Mac started, "She owns a bar, but she's a nurse by profession."

"She's a nurse?"

Mac nodded, "She used to be, but as far as I know she's only been working at the bar the last few of years…"

"You think she was a good nurse?" Matty asked with even more interest.

Mac shrugged, "She sure has the personality to be one. And from what I could pick up about her when I met her, she takes her tasks serious enough to be good at just about everything."

Matty nodded.

"…She sings a lot, for fun… Jack loves that." Mac smiled as he thought back at Jack talking about her singing.

"If she is a nurse, why does she work in a bar?"

"It's a family business kind of thing. She was the next in line to run it."

"So she's just going to do that for the rest of her days?" Matty asked.

"I don't know…" Mac shrugged, "Jack said something about her wishing to become a nurse again. Now that her little brother has moved back home, she has taken a few shifts at the hospital near her hometown."

Matty smiled. "Okay…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle recognized the tall-ish blond young man. It was MacGyver, no doubt about it. She didn't recognize the short woman walking beside him, but out of Jack's description of his friends, she recognized the woman as Matty Webber.

"Hi Mac!" she greeted, spreading her arms as Mac spread his to hug her.

"Hey Michelle…" he smiled and hugged her. She automatically buried her face in his chest, her voice suddenly a bit shakier. "How is he?"

Mac felt a lump form in his throat. He swallowed hard and tried to be fully in control of his voice. Michelle didn't need for him to sound like he was about to cry. He knew Jack would be fine, eventually.

"Hurting. He's hurting a lot…" Mac revealed and swallowed once more, "But he'll be alright, a few months and he'll be walking around on his own. Might have a limp for some time, but the doctor was optimistic…"

Michelle nodded against his chest.

They pulled apart and Mac looked her over. "You look good, Michelle."

Michelle grinned and looked down at herself, "Thank you Mac, that's kind. But I'm so scared right now, there's no way I look anything but terrified."

"Don't worry about it…" Mac assured her. "You'll both be fine."

Michelle bit her lip and nodded. Then she looked over at Matty, trying to put on a proper smile, a winning 'nice to meet you' smile.

"Hi, I'm Michelle Sawyer…" Michelle smiled, holding her hand out for Matty to shake.

"Mathilda Webber, but I go by Matty…" Matty smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Whatever worries she had earlier were blown away instantly as soon as she met the girl.

The real concern she showed for Jack melted Matty's heart. She would never admit to it, but she might like this girl for Jack. Might even think that they belonged and should be together. (For other reasons than the fact that Jack had went all crazy and got himself really hurt after just one week without her.)

 **Okay… So… This was one mess of a chapter. Sorry… Bear with me, okay? I'm only doing as best as I can.  
-I'm no professional!**


	53. Chapter 53

**Okay… So… I come bearing gift(s)... Another chapter for you…**

He was pale against the sheets of the hospital bed. But his face lit up when she walked into the room. He didn't move to sit up more than what the bed was already raised, but she figured it was because every move he made had to transfer to his leg.

To prop himself up on his elbows would inevitability cause him to either flex the muscles in his thigh, or his leg would move as a result of his upper body moving.

"Hey handsome…" she smiled as she walked over to the bed.

"Hey honey…" he replied, a lopsided grin on his lips.

She pulled a chair over to his bed, then she sat down. She looked over at his leg for a moment, studying the contraption it was suspended in.

"Looks painful…" she nodded towards it.

Jack looked down at the leg. A frown crossed his face and he nodded.

"How long?"

Jack shrugged gently, "Doc said something about three weeks like this, before they could put in a rod through the bone in my thigh… Could be longer… There's a lot of swelling, and the inside 'looked like a mess'…"

Michelle raised an eyebrow at the way Jack cited what the doctor had said. "The doctor didn't really say that, did he?"

"Yeah, he did…" a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, "We kinda have a personal connection with the doctors here… Makes for some fun descriptions of injuries sometimes…"

Michelle smiled a bit, she couldn't help it.

Jack looked down at his lap, studying the white cover for a couple of minutes before he looked up at Michelle, eyes all misty as he cleared his voice. "Are we good? Did I screw everything up? Thursday…"

Michelle chuckled, then she shook her head. "No… We're good… I already told you that… _Boyfriend_ …"

She took a hold of his hand, he smiled.

Then she looked down at his leg again, shaking her head in defeat. "But you almost did screw up everything when you did that…"

Jack nodded.

Michelle was silent for a little while, she kept her eyes locked at his leg, on the rod drilled through his leg right above his knee. –The wires connected to that rod, which pulled on his leg.

"You could have gotten yourself killed…" she whispered, squeezing his hand without looking away from his leg. He squeezed back.

"But I didn't…" he whispered, his thumb running over her knuckles. She let out a quiet sob, one not meant to be noticed by anyone. "I didn't Michelle… I'm here…"

Michelle wiped her free hand across her eyes, then she looked at Jack. She sniffled, "What happened?"

"I got shot…" Jack shrugged lightly, he didn't elaborate.

"…How…"

"I was angry…" Jack admitted, "Angry with myself, the world… Everything… -You name it."

Michelle just kept looking at Jack.

"Scratch that, I was angry at everything, and PISSED at myself…"

A small smile threatened to pull at the corner of Michelle's lips. Jack squeezed her hand.

"I didn't think things through, didn't listen to anyone… Hell, I'm not even sure I heard them…" Jack swallowed. He couldn't really remember anyone telling him to stop, but it had been brought to his attention after the surgery. When he woke up and Matty and Riley were standing there, and Mac was asleep in the arm chair in the corner. Jack couldn't remember it, but it sure sounded like a move he would have pulled in the right (wrong) mindset. "I was stupid. Didn't keep track of how many bullets I had left…"

He ran his free hand over his hair. Talking about it made his blood run hot, he was still furious with himself. No longer because he had made the worst move of his life breaking up with Michelle, that seemed to be fixed again. But because he had made the worst work related move he could remember ever making. He should have known better, _he knew better_ …

"-Ran into a room full of armed guys…" he fell silent before he gestured to his leg, "Last of 'em shot me… Mac made it there before he could finish the job…"

He looked over at Michelle, her eyes were red, tears were threatening to spill down her cheeks. Her full lips were pressed hard together in an attempt to keep from making any noises, to keep from crying.

Jack had to sweep away a tear of his own. "Please… Please forgive me… For being so stupid, for thinking that it would be easier for the both of us if we split up… -I was stupid…"

Michelle broke out laughing, kind, gentle laughter. She shook her head gently as she pushed to her feet and leaned over to place a kiss on Jack's cheek. "Already did…"

He smiled, his shoulders relaxed. He tilted his head so that their lips would meet.

When they finally broke apart from the kiss, Jack looked up at her. "I swear, I'm gonna ask Mac to punch me, really hard, if I ever do something as stupid as breaking up with you again…"

Michelle chuckled, "I thought your friend was against violence…"

"Oh, he can fight… He just doesn't do guns…" Jack shrugged, "And I think he'd be more than willing to knock some sense into my thick head if I ever pulled a stunt like that again…"

Michelle chuckled, "You think?"

"Either that, or I can ask Riley…" Jack smirked, "she's getting really good at fighting."

"Look at you, looking like a proud dad…" Michelle winked.

Jack blushed, "Yeah…"

Michelle smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Matty knocked on the door two hours later, she waited for the 'come in' to be called and stepped inside Jack's hospital room. She was pleased to find both Jack and Michelle with smiles on their faces, a sad Jack was…  
Depressing.

She offered a smile of her own, nodding at both of them. She said 'hey' to Jack, then she turned to Michelle. "Do you think I could borrow you for a minute? Just a few more formal things we need to go through…"

Michelle looked over at Jack, then at Matty. "Okay…"

"It won't take too long…" Matty promised, looking at Jack once herself.

"See you girls soon then…" he winked and took a deep breath, "Wake me if I'm asleep when you get back, alright?"

Michelle chuckled, "Okay, I'll try to remember that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle could feel how she got more and more nervous the further down the hallway they went. Director Webber, Matty, was leading her towards a small room near the stairs.

"What's this about…?" she finally dared to ask, "I thought we had gone through all the things you needed to let me inside the building…"

Matty nodded, "Hon, don't worry about that. All that is taken care of…"

Michelle nodded, stopping as Matty opened the door to the room they were headed for. "Then what is it?"

"I just need to talk to you. In private…" Matty smiled, "Please sit down…"

Michelle did as she was asked, Matty climbed up on the chair on the other side of the table and placed her arms on the table in front of her.

She tilted her head from side to side, studying Michelle. Then finally she opened her mouth again. "You used to be a nurse, right?"

Michelle nodded.

Matty nodded.

"But you're running your own bar, right?"

"Yeah, took over after my dad decided he was too old to run it all on his own…" Michelle nodded again.

"What would you rather do?"

Michelle said nothing, she just ran a hand through her curls and looked down at the table.

"Do you like being a bartender?" Matty asked, her voice neutral but friendly. "Or would you rather do something else?"

Michelle shrugged, "I don't mind being a bartender…"

Matty rolled her eyes, "Look, I called a couple friends of yours… They basically told me you would run that bar whether you hated it or not, because you're responsible like that… I'm not talking about what's OK, I'm talking about; _If you got to choose, out of pure selfishness, what would you rather do?_ "

Michelle chuckled, "You talked to Tina I understand…"

Matty nodded.

"If I got to choose, I would rather be a nurse…" Michelle admitted, "But the last few years, that just hasn't been an option…"

"Because somebody had to take care of the bar?"

Michelle nodded.

"A little bird told me that you've recently gotten more help with that…" Matty cocked her head to the side, "Your little brother came back home, right?"

Michelle let out a short laugh, and nodded. "Yeah, he did…"

"Does he like working there?"

Michelle nodded again, "Think he likes it better than I ever did… But he's still getting the hang of it…"

Matty smiled, "Do you see where I am going?"

Michelle didn't answer at first.

"Hon?"

"Maybe…"

Matty nodded, "Our medical ward has been a bit short-staffed lately… We could use another nurse, if you want the job… -It's yours…"

Michelle smiled, for a second, then she turned serious again. "Can I get a few days to think about it?"

Matty nodded, "Of course…"

Michelle nodded in return. She wanted to do this, this seemed like _that_ opportunity. You know, _the one_. She needed to call Danny. She hoped he wanted to work full time, he had mentioned it from time to time. But they had never really gotten around to it. It had just continued in the same old fashion. Switching between three and four nights a week. –But he had been eager to take the shifts she couldn't take.

She felt a little bit of hope creep up on her. She would call Danny before she went back to Jack.

"When do you need the answer?"

Matty shrugged, "Look at it as an open invitation, you can answer whenever you feel like it…"

Michelle nodded. "Thank you…"

"Oh, don't thank me yet…" Matty laughed, "I would probably assign you to Jack, he can be a handful when he's injured…"

Michelle just laughed.

 **Okay. Need to stop this chapter here. Hope you're having fun reading this. I'm sure having fun writing it.**


	54. Chapter 54

**Another chapter up!**

"Speak fast, I'm busy!" Danny said as he placed his phone to his ear and trapped it with his shoulder.

"Oh, I could call back later…"

"Nah… Sis, I'm just messin' with ya…" Danny chuckled, "I'm just cleaning before the crowd rolls in…"

"Oh… Okay…" Michelle relaxed, "I've got something to ask of you…"

Danny chuckled, "Okay?"

"See, I got this offer… And…"

"-If I can work fulltime here at the bar? Of course sister…"

"How did you…?"

Danny chuckled again, "A woman with a nice voice called earlier, said she wanted to know if there was a possibility of you taking the job she was about to offer you. –And you've been stuck here for way too long…"

"Would you take over the bar for me?"

"I can work full time…" Danny nodded, "But, I don't really want to be the manager of this thing, not yet anyway… Would that work for you?"

"You mean that?"

"Yeah…"

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"

"HEY! I'll do stock, I'll order whatever we're running low on, but I'm not taking any more responsibility than that. I'm not going to sit in an office and crunch numbers okay?"

"OKAY!" Michelle almost sang, "I can do the office part in my sleep, that's no problem. I just needed someone to take all the shifts."

"Okay… Then we're good…" Danny grinned, "You're in California now, right? Your message earlier was a little hard to decode…"

"Yeah, I'm in LA…"

"That's where Jack lives, right?"

"Yup…"

"Are you with him?" Danny asked, "Are you back together again?"

"Yeah." There was no hiding the joy in her voice.

"No hard feelings?" Danny was a little cautious as he asked, part of him hoped there weren't any troubles, another part of him wished Jack a hard time because of how he had made Michelle feel.

"No hard feelings…" Michelle assured.

"How are the two of you? He treating you like the princess you deserve to be treated like?"

Michelle cleared her voice. "Well…"

"Sis…" Danny's voice was hard, "If he's not treating you absolutely perfect, you need to tell me!"

She let out a nervous chuckle, "He can't…"

"What? –Of course he can!"

Michelle shook her head, "No… He's in the hospital."

"He's in the hospital?!"

"Yeah… That's kinda the reason I was in such a hurry to get here, and why the message was so short and jumbled."

"Is he alright?" Danny no longer wished Jack trouble. After all, he had turned into a pretty good friend.

"He says he's gonna be…" Michelle shrugged, leaning on the wall, "But he's not aright right now…"

"Is he sick? Injured?"

"Injured. He got shot…"

"SHOT!" Danny exclaimed, and the thee first guests who had already entered snapped their heads towards him. "HE GOT SHOT?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh my God! Where? Why?"

"In the leg…" Michelle explained, "I don't really know why, other than 'wrong guy had a gun'."

Danny took a second to compose himself. "Damn… Is he alright?"

"I already answered that…" Michelle almost chuckled.

"Right…" Danny ran a hand across his face, "Are you alright?"

Michelle fell silent, then after about ten seconds she shook her head. "No… I'm scared…"

Danny nodded. "I get it…"

"Is he in pain?"

Michelle nodded, then she remembered she actually had to speak to answer her brother. "Yeah, he is. And he won't be able to leave the hospital for a few weeks."

"He won't be able to leave the hospital for a few WEEKS?"

"No… They had to put his leg in traction." Michelle shrugged, "The bullet hit the bone and caused it to shatter. The traction helps keep the nerve endings from rubbing up on each other. Relieves a bit of the pain I guess. And it keeps his thigh straight, and makes sure it doesn't heal shorter…"

"Wow, that sucks…" Danny sat down on one of the barstools and let go of the rag he had been wiping the counter with. "Hope he heals well…"

"Yeah, I hope so too…"

"But hey… People are starting to come in here… I can call tomorrow if you want…"

"You don't need to…" Michelle smiled, "I can call you if I need to…"

"Okay… You do that…" Danny nodded, "Say hi to Jack from me, tell him I wish him a speedy recovery, okay?"

"I'll do that Danny…"

"Okay, thanks…" Danny rubbed his neck, "Well, talk to you later then…"

"Yeah…" Michelle agreed, "And hey… Thanks…"

"No problem sister… Just go take care of that man of yours…"

Michelle nodded, "I will… Bye…"

"Bye…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Danny couldn't believe it. He had been so angry with Jack after he had left Michelle. Who could leave his sister like that?

But now Jack had gone and gotten himself shot. And he was in the hospital, and he had asked for Michelle. (It was probably the first thing he had done after getting to the hospital, if Danny wasn't completely mistaken.)

He had wished Jack a hard time, well… He had wished him pain and suffering to be honest. After seeing how their short breakup had affected Michelle, of course he had wished the man a bad time.

But not like this. Never like this…

"What's up sonny?" Bobby Roland asked as he walked up beside him, "You look a little pale kid…"

Danny nodded. Opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find his voice.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded again.

"Everything alright?"

Danny shook his head, everything was definitely not alright.

"What is it?"

"Jack…" he whispered, "Jack's in hospital, that's why Michelle asked me to take her shift today…"

"Well, is it serious?" Bobby narrowed his brows as he pulled out one of the barstools and sat down.

Danny nodded again, "He got shot in the leg, thigh… He has to stay in the hospital for some time, the bullet hit bone. They've got his leg in traction."

Shock spread across Bobby's face, then realization. "I heard a few of the others murmur something about 'shot', didn't catch the context…"

Danny nodded.

"Is he gonna be alright?"

Danny shrugged, "Michelle said Jack says he will be…"

"Well, I hope so…" Bobby put one hand up to toy with his beard. "Damn, he's much too young to get an injury he'll struggle with the rest of his life…"

At that Danny couldn't help but laugh, "You do realize he's 50, right?"

"Still too young…" Bobby shrugged.

Danny nodded, "Yeah, guess you're right…"

 **Okay, another chapter down… And you're still reading! WOW!  
Thanks for all the comments, favs and follows! It's really motivating! I can't describe how motivating it is!**


	55. Chapter 55

**Okay, so here we are again… What fun can I sculpt out of this sand now? What could possibly happen next…?  
(Hmm… Did I just see someone pulling their pillow up in front of them? *scratches my own head in a confused mannor* Guys! I didn't mean to scare you! It wasn't meant like that! –I'll play nice!)**

When Michelle got back to Jack's room, it was full with other people. She recognized Mac and Matty, she had already met them. Riley was easy to make out, she had seen pictures of her. (Jack treated her exactly like if she had been his own kid.) And she figured the last person had to be Bozer.

It felt exactly like meeting Jack's old military buddies for the first time, her pulse sped up and her mouth ran dry. Why was this so intimidating?

"Hey…" she smiled nervously towards the two she hadn't met before.

"Oh wow…" the young man breathed just as the girl stood up with a smile, "Jack, you've outdone yourself this time…"

"Hi! I'm Riley!" the young woman grinned as she danced over to meet her. "Jack has told me so much about you!"

Her fear of being rejected disappeared instantly, and she smiled. "He's told me so much about you too! He's very proud of you…"

Riley's smile widened, and she blushed a little bit. "Well, he's very much in love with you, even though he pulled the stupid stunt of breaking up with you…"

Riley paused and shot Jack a lethal glare Michelle was glad not to be on the receiving end of. Then she turned back to Michelle with a gentle, friendly smile. "He talks about you all the time…"

Michelle smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They all talked for hours, and Michelle really bonded with the whole group. She felt included, right from the start. A new bunch of people to call her friends.

The time crawled all the way to 9:45p.m. and Jack could barely keep his eyes open. Nobody could blame him. Being injured sure pulled the energy right out of him.

"I think we better go home now… Let the old man have his rest…" Mac said as he stood up and stretched. "If you want to Michelle, you can tag along with me and Bozer. The guest bedroom is ready…"

Jack yawned, "Or if you want, we could ask for an extra bed to be put inside this room… If you don't mind staying here…"

"You want me to stay?" she asked softly.

"If you don't mind… Yeah…" Jack nodded, "I missed you, you know…"

"I'll stay here then, if it's not too much trouble for anyone…"

"No trouble at all…" Matty assured. "I'll let the staff know on my way out…"

"Thank you, Matty…" Jack smiled.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

"Good morning beautiful…" was the first thing she heard when she woke up the next day. She smiled, and sat up.

"Good morning handsome…" she answered.

Jack watched her push off the bed and head towards him. Then about halfway over to him she froze and panic crossed her features. She looked to her left and almost darted for the restroom.

"Darlin'?" Jack craned his neck in an attempt to see through the door that stood ajar, "Are you alright?"

He quickly understood that she wasn't.

"Babe…"

"SON OF A BITCH!" Michelle cussed silently.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He wanted to walk out there and help her, comfort her at least. But he couldn't, he couldn't even sit up in the bed on his own without his vision starting to black out because of the leg. Actually getting out of bed was still a long way ahead of him.

"Do you need me to call for somebody?" he finally asked, "I could get a nurse or a doctor in here…"

"No… No, I'm fine…"

"You sure doesn't sound fine…" Jack still tried to catch a glimpse of Michelle through the open door.

"I'm fine…" she called out, "Must've been something I ate…"

"Well, in that case I should probably be sick too… Either that or whatever you ate used a heck of a lot of time to make you sick!" Jack reasoned, "Sure, it could be the airline food, but, I would think you would have gotten sick already yesterday then… Could have caught a bug while you flew in here"

"Yeah, maybe… I hope not." Michelle winced from inside the bathroom. "Or maybe I just had something I react to?"

"You're allergic to something?"

"Didn't know about anything…" Michelle answered, before she was interrupted by another wave of nausea.

Jack winced in sympathy. Then a thought hit him, "What about pregnant? Could you be that?"

There was silence inside the bathroom for a few seconds, then she answered, "No… Can't be it. I'm on the pill, and I did have my period right after you left…"

"Okay… So not it then…"

"No, really don't think so…" Michelle laughed, "Aw, man… This is horrible… Hope you don't catch this…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

 _Pregnant? No… That couldn't be it… It was impossible. She was on the pill, she never missed it, not even when Jack wasn't with her… No, she couldn't be pregnant. –And she had just had her period, although…_

 _Crap… What if?_

 _She hadn't bled as much as she usually did… What if… Maybe? No. But… No… No, that had to be because of the pill. Her periods had changed a bit after she started on it, and she hadn't used those for all that long yet. The period being a light one was probably just a new effect of the pill. Her body adjusting to the chemicals or whatever… Probably. Yeah, definitely._

 **Okay… Hope y'all are enjoying this stuff.**

 **Fun fact: This fanfic is now officially book-length. (And it freaks me out! I spent 2 months writing a full-length book. For reference, the first Harry Potter book has a word count of 77 325 words. I have passed that!)  
I never thought I could come up with stuff to write to fill out enough pages to reach book-length. And definitely didn't think I would have the patience to actually write something that long! And that people would actually read it… -I'm baffled!**


	56. Chapter 56

**Okay hello again!**

A few hours later Jack still hadn't felt any kind of nausea, and Michelle was feeling a lot better as well.

She had even managed to eat a bit, and she had kept it down too. But when one of the nurses brought in desserts after dinner, the thought that she might be pregnant returned. Because, oh damn, strawberries usually didn't smell that much!  
–But they tasted perfect.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack studied Michelle, she was sitting in the arm chair next to him with a book in her lap.

She was no longer pale, and she no longer looked sick. She was as beautiful like always. Perfect.

He would never break up with her again. Never.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

The next morning started better.  
-Well, at least until lunchtime.

Michelle ended up in the same position as the yesterday's morning, and she couldn't help but questioning what she had assumed.

"How's it going darlin'?" Jack asked from his bed.

"Think I might have to reconsider what you mentioned yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe I should take a pregnancy test…" she started, "You know, just to be sure…"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea…" Jack agreed with a smile on his lips. To be honest, he almost wished for her to be pregnant.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She stood in front of a literal wall of pregnancy tests. The cost were varying a bit, but she chose a 2-test pack of first response brand, and one 2-test pack of the Clearblue test. She knew they could read false, and she wanted to eliminate that risk by taking at least three tests.

She read on the back of the boxes for a little while, before she put them into her cart. Then she went around and collected the other stuff she needed.

Then she went to the counter and paid for the contents in her cart.

 **Short-ish chapter, I know… Sorry…**


	57. Chapter 57

**And we're back! Let's see how this goes…  
You think I'm torturing you? Huh?  
Sorry… And, -you're welcome… *winks***

Jack held Michelle's hand. She was sitting on a chair next to his bed. She had her feet up on the seat, and her knees drawn up to her chest.

"What do you hope it says?" she asked.

Jack blushed lightly.

"Well…" he paused, "What do you hope it says?"

"That's not fair, I asked you first…" Michelle laughed.

"I kinda hope it says you're pregnant…" Jack admitted, "But I'll support you whatever you think about it…"

A smile broke out across her face, she untangled herself and sat up on her knees to kiss Jack. "I kinda hope so too…"

Jack grinned and used his hand to guide her back towards his lips.

"You think three minutes have passed now?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I set the timer on my phone…"

He nodded. They waited.

"I think it's a little early though…" Michelle tilted her head and looked towards Jack, "I love the idea of what this can be… But it's nothing like the plan I once had…"

"Plan?" Jack smirked, hoping to hear about this plan of hers.

"Well, first of all I hoped I would have been together with my boyfriend for two years, or at least one year before I went and got myself pregnant…" Michelle shrugged.

"I think technically I made you pregnant…" Jack shrugged.

Michelle smiled.

"Was that the only part of the plan?"

"No…" she admitted, "I also hoped that I would have a stable job, not as a bartender, and that I would have spent a couple of years in that job. Oh… By the way… I got a job offer!"

"Job offer?"

Michelle nodded, "Matty asked if I wanted to become a nurse here…"

A smile spread across Jack's face. "Well?"

"I'm taking it…" Michelle nodded, "I talked to Danny right after Matty asked me… And then I answered her when we went out to find the extra bed…"

Jack smiled wider, "That's great darlin'!"

She nodded, "I just hope that this doesn't change her opinion…"

"It won't…" Jack assured.

"If I'm pregnant, then I probably won't be able to work the last few weeks before the baby is born. And then I don't know how long it will take afterwards before I'm back on top… She didn't expect that when she offered me the job…"

"It won't make a difference." Jack promised, "Trust me, she won't draw the offer. My guess is that she'll be surprised, but approving…"

"Approving…?"

"Just a guess…" Jack nodded, "So, any other details to your plan? Living together with the father, full time? Married before kids came into play?"

"Living together with you, _before maybe getting pregnant_ would be within the plan. Yes…" Michelle nodded, "But marriage wasn't in the have-to plan… My parents weren't married when they got Mark, or me… They married before they got Danny though…"

"Good, cause I won't be able to get down on one knee in the foreseeable future…" Jack gestured towards his leg, "And when I propose to you, I want to do it right."

"You planning on proposing to me?"

"I've got something like a 5-year plan of my own…" Jack winked, "Buying a ring and getting down on one knee in front of you, that's definitely on the list. In the future…"

Michelle smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The timer beeped. Jack looked expectantly towards Michelle, "Are you gonna go in there and check the tests, or not?"

Michelle nodded and stood up. "Want to check them with me?"

"I can't get out of bed…"

"Yeah, I know…" she nodded as she headed for the bathroom to find the tests.

A few seconds later she came back with the tests in her hands. She kept her eyes straight forward. Her hands were shaking slightly.

She sat down on the chair beside him.

She didn't say anything, just looked at Jack.

"What did it say?" Jack raised his eyebrows at her.

"I haven't looked at it yet…" Michelle answered, "I couldn't… I can't…"

She looked towards the door, then she handed Jack one of the tests. "You check it…"

"You sure?"

Michelle nodded.

Jack looked at the test. He smiled, looking down at Michelle beside him again. She was still staring at the door like it would catch fire if she looked away.

"It's one of those 'one means none, and two means three' tests, right?" he asked, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

She looked up. "Does it…?"

"Well…" Jack dragged the answer out as long as he managed, then he blurted it out, "There's two pink lines here!"

"TWO?" Michelle grabbed at his hand to see the test, "Two lines?"

Jack nodded, laughing gently. "You've got two tests in your hands… I think the same result is showing up on those too…"

She let go of his hand and looked down at the ones in her left hand. One was showing two pink lines, the other one was showing a blue plus sign.

"Oh my God, I'm pregnant!" she cried out, "Jack! We're gonna be parents!"

"Yeah, babe…" Jack drawled, "We're gonna be parents!"

 **Well, okay… Not the longest chapter, I know. But it contained what it needed to contain. And this felt like a nice place to end this chapter…**


	58. Chapter 58

**Okay, like always… I have NO FREAKING IDEA of what I'm about to write when I start a new chapter. (Most of the time I'm not even sure what the next sentence is gonna be…)**

It was a quarter past eleven. It was dark outside, the only source of light was the streetlights that lit up the walkways.

He was tired, drained, but he couldn't sleep. He was too worked up for that. He had 'just' found out that he would be a dad in less than 9 months. He certainly couldn't sleep after finding that out.

Michelle on the other hand was fast asleep on the other bed. She had the covers pulled up over her shoulders, she was laying on her side, her curly hair billowing out over the mattress.

Jack couldn't stop looking at her. She was the prettiest person he knew of. He couldn't wait until she started showing, he would bet that she would be even prettier then, although he couldn't see how that would be possible.

He could imagine her tan skin glowing the way pregnant women tended to glow.

A smile spread across his face as he imagined how she would look towards the end of the pregnancy, it would definitely look like she was carrying a watermelon under her shirt. Her short stature would cause her to grow outward. She would be the cutest.

He smiled to himself and folded his arms over his chest. He was gonna be a father. He could not stop smiling.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

She stretched and yawned, pushed some curls away from her eyes and looked over at Jack.

He was still sleeping with the head part of the bed laid flat. He was snoring lightly, the sound of it was almost comforting. She would let him sleep until he woke up by himself, he deserved that.

She laid there, studying him. His short dark hair with a little silver in it. The stubbles on his chin, she had never really liked men with full beards, but stubbles… She had always been weak for stubbles.

She pulled her legs closer to her, and wrapped the covers better around her shoulders.

Then she placed a hand on her own stomach. It was weird. Knowing a tiny human had started growing there. It was still just a collection of cells really, too early to call a human, at least by her book. But she felt attached to it already. Her little boy, -or girl.

She wondered what the kid would be like, if it would be a boy or a girl for starters. If the boy, if it was a boy, would have his dad's good looks and charming grin. Or if it was a girl, if that girl would have her curls and her eyes.  
Maybe the kid would have her hair and his eyes?

Then again, the kid might end up looking all weird. Three arms, twelve toes, one eye…  
Okay, she had to put those thoughts away NOW. She couldn't think like that, she would scare herself useless with those kinds of thoughts.

She saw a boy, about four years old. Dark brown eyes, his fathers. Brown, almost blond, thick curly hair. A cheeky grin, and a scrape on his left knee.

Then that boy transformed into a true copy of Jack, a copy of old pictures Caroline had showed her of her sons when they were young. A dark mop of hair, unkempt. Tan from all the time he spent outside. Dark eyes, and a big wide grin. Probably with a wild side, a country mile wide.

She imagined a girl, her light-brown curls. his fantastic brown eyes. Her cute little nose, his smile. Or maybe her green eyes and his dark hair? Her lips and his nose?

However, the kid would be beautiful.

She wondered how long it would take before she started showing. She wasn't entirely sure when, -which week of the pregnancy it started to be pretty damn obvious that a tiny human was growing inside of the mother. She figured it would show fairly quickly on her, she was short and had a slender waist. She hoped Jack wouldn't dislike her figure she would get, it would be quite different from what it was now…

 **Okay… Sooo… Another chapter down.**

 **And I've officially caught up with myself again. I no longer have any pre-written chapters.**

 **Thank you all so much for the comments, it's really fun to see your reactions to what I write.**


	59. Chapter 59

**Okay another chapter. Let's have some fun, OK?**

 **Okay, I'm gonna skip ahead a little bit, just a little bit…**

The surgery was less than one week away, if everything went according to the plan. Jack could barely wait.

The luxury of being in a cast, and maybe even moving around a little bit, would be welcomed. At least not having his leg suspended from the top frame of the bed would be great.

"Ready for this today?" Michelle asked as she placed the kit on the table beside his bed.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, sure…"

She smiled and put on her gloves, "You want to look away?"

Jack shrugged, "How bad did it look yesterday?"

"It's a gunshot wound…" Michelle shrugged, "It's not the most beautiful sight you can think of…"

Jack nodded.

"If you want to look away, you better do it now…" Michelle shrugged as she reached for the adhesive dressing covering the front of Jack's thigh.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle smiled as Jack laid back and looked away.

She started to peel away the adhesive, she tried to ignore the small noises Jack let out. She knew it had to hurt still.

"Looks good…" she informed, "It's starting to close up nicely."

"It is?" Jack tilted his head towards her, careful to keep his leg out of his line of vision.

"Yup…" Michelle nodded and smiled, "Keeps looking better day by day…"

Jack smiled, "You think I should take a look at it?"

"You don't have to…"

"If I want to?"

"Do whatever you want…" Michelle shrugged, "But you do know that your thigh won't exactly look much better for a good while…"

Jack nodded, used a few seconds to steel himself then looked down at the leg.

"Didn't look as bad as I feared…" Jack shrugged at the almost closed wound.

"Still doesn't look good though…" Michelle tilted her head a bit, and wetted some cotton gauze with the solution they used to clean the wound. "This might sting…"

"It will…" Jack winced already before Michelle touched his leg with the wet gauze. His breath hitched as she did though.

"Sorry…"

Jack gasped and waved a hand in front of him, "Nah… It's alright…"

Michelle nodded and continued to tend to Jack's wound.

Jack breathed hard for a few seconds as Michelle cleaned the area around the wound, when she stopped to let it dry he relaxed.

"So…" He started, "How are you feelin'? The two of you?"

Michelle smiled as Jack nodded to her tummy. He allowed himself to rest his hand against her belly, she wasn't exactly showing yet.

"Good. We're feeling good." Michelle answered with a smile, "Haven't felt nauseous the last couple of days even…"

"Good…" Jack smiled, gently moving his hand up and down against her shirt. Before looking up and asking, "How far along are you now?"

Michelle smiled gently, "Think it's 8 weeks… Do you think I'm showing yet?"

"No…" Jack shook his head, then he smirked mischievously, "Well, maybe your boobs…"

Michelle chuckled, "You noticed? I had to buy a new bra yesterday…"

Jack chuckled, "No, I just wanted to see you smile… But now that you've confirmed it, yeah… I guess they look a bit bigger…"

Michelle leaned down to kiss Jack, just a quick little peck.

 **Okay. I'm the master of short chapters at the moment. Sorry… (Or rather, they are the master of me…)  
I wish I could pop out 3-4k word chapters every day, but that's just not something that seems to happen.  
(You get some of them though. From time to time…)**


	60. Chapter 60

**Okay… So you're still reading, that's good I guess.**

Thursday January 25th. 10:38 a.m..

Michelle looked at her watch for what felt like the fiftieth time. She couldn't help it, she knew the procedure could be considered a safe one. But she still worried for Jack.

She placed one hand over her tummy, a position she found herself in more and more often. It was like placing her hand there calmed her nerves. Just what she needed right now.

She wasn't exactly sure of how long the surgery would take. But she figured it wouldn't be done in less than an hour, that would be too quickly.

Another glance at her watch told her that she was impatient. 10:39…

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was a quarter to two when Jack finally was rolled out of the surgery.

Michelle walked into his room and waited for him to wake up. She sat down in the armchair beside him. She tucked her legs up on the chair and placed her hand out over his left one.

Then she waited.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle looked up as Jack let out a small grunt.

"You waking up?" Michelle asked looking over.

"Barely…" Jack slurred, his eyes were fluttering open for some seconds before he gave up and kept them closed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Floaty…" Jack drawled.

"Whatever they gave you haven't worn off completely yet?"

Jack nodded lazily and squeezed Michelle's hand a bit. "Think 'M gonna sleep a bit more…"

"Okay…" Michelle nodded, but Jack was fast asleep before Michelle had finished saying the word. She smiled at the sight and reached for her book with her free hand.

Jack woke up again almost an hour later.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He looked down at his leg. It looked like it had the last couple of weeks. There was a white adhesive dressing placed over the healing wound. Technically the wound was healed enough to drop the bandage, but it was a nice way to hide the scar too.

But he knew he had a new dressing covering a fresh incision near his hip. The rod that now ran through his femur had been inserted by drilling into accessible top of the femur, not the femoral head or neck.

His leg was propped up on a bunch of pillows. It wasn't in a cast, which surprised him.

"No cast?" he asked, looking over at Michelle.

She shook her head, "No… They figured there would be a lot of swelling, and with the thin skin over your wound they didn't want the cast to be too tight. They're keeping you here a few more days, they're planning on putting you in a cast in a few days."

"Oh… Okay…" Jack nodded, and took a second glance at his leg.

"Doctor said you wouldn't have needed the cast if it wasn't for the GSW."

Jack nodded and gently touched his thigh. "Because of the GSW?"

Michelle nodded, "-And because you are you. He said you would inevitably bump into something or get into some sort of trouble…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, obviously…"

"I feel there are some old stories there…"

Jack nodded again, "Yup, there's a lot of stories there. But I think the story Doc thinks of is the shoulder that just wouldn't heal…"

"Hm?"

"Ripped some tendons in my shoulder. Nothing that needed surgery, just the old 'keep it still and it'll heal' stuff." Jack shrugged, "After four months Doc decided to put me in a cast to keep me from tearing it up again, two months later I was back in business."

A smile pulled at Michelle's lips, "So that's why he insisted on a cast…"

Jack nodded, "Most likely…"

 **Okay so… That's it for this chapter. I'll start the next one I guess, having some boring days at work…**


	61. Chapter 61

**Another chapter down. Hope you like it…**

"Easy. Easy…" Jack whispered to himself as he guided his leg down from the bed. He grimaced as his leg protested the movement.

"You need help there tough guy?" Michelle asked, still holding the crutches ready for him.

"Nah…" Jack shook his head, "Gotta be able to handle this on my own…"

"I think I could help you…" Michelle almost stepped forward to do so.

"Darlin', I've gotta be able to do this crap on my own." Jack drawled almost on the verge of breathlessness. "They won't let me go home before I can handle myself well enough to get by on my own…"

Michelle nodded and stayed back as Jack placed his good foot on the floor and left his right hovering a couple of inches above the linoleum.

"Crutches…" Jack looked up as he pushed off the bed, balancing on his left leg.

Michelle handed him his crutches and Jack got himself ready to take a little walk.

"He didn't want me to bear weigh on it, right?"

"Correct…" Michelle nodded, "Could've if it was only the break… But with the muscle damage too, Dr. Andrews decided that it would be best if you just kept completely off the leg. 'Better safe than sorry'-style"

"Good ol' John Andrews…" Jack smirked, "Better do as he says…"

Michelle nodded as she watched Jack take the first slightly unsteady hobbling step.

"How does it feel?" she held her hands ready to catch Jack if he stumbled.

"Good." Jack offered a smile, "Good to be back vertical…"

Michelle relaxed and put her hands back down. Her right hand resting over her tummy.

"You're cute…" Jack grinned, hopping over and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"I'm bloated…" Michelle frowned back, "And the waist of my pants feel tight…"

"Still the cutest person I've ever seen though…" Jack winked, taking a step back to gain better balance.

Michelle smiled, "Well, that's good. Cause you're the most handsome man I can think of…"

Jack grinned, then he looked down at his leg. "Think we could take a walk over to the cafeteria?"

Michelle nodded, "Sure, if you think you're up for it…"

Jack shrugged, "Might be a little far, but I want to stretch my other leg a bit…"

Michelle nodded, "Worst case, I'll just get a wheelchair for you…"

"Sounds like a plan. Want to take that walk with me?"

Michelle nodded, and gestured for Jack to go ahead.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack started struggling a bit as they closed in on the cafeteria.

"You need to sit down?"

Jack shook his head, "No. Can wait."

Michelle pursed her lips, "Short answers… You're in pain, aren't you?"

Jack shook his head.

"No."

Michelle sped up and turned around to face him. She folded her arms in front of her and squared up to him. "You're in pain."

Jack offered a cheesy smile, "Okay… Hurts a bit…"

"You should sit down…"

"Nah…" Jack shook his head, but stopped in his tracks, "No, I can make it to the cafeteria, not that far left…"

Michelle sighed, "You're really set on reaching the cafeteria, right?"

Jack nodded.

"I'm not gonna be able to stop you from reaching that goal, am I?"

Jack shook his head, with a smug smile, "Nope, I'm gonna reach the cafeteria…"

Michelle chuckled and shook her head in defeat, "Okay, but I'm wheeling you back to your room afterwards."

"Okay, but I'm pretty sure I could make it back to my room too after a little bit of rest."

"Well, I'm sure you could…" she nodded, "But I don't want you to stress your injuries…"

"Aww, you're looking out for me…" Jack grinned and leaned on his crutches.

"Okay, let's go to the cafeteria then…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack winced as he sat down at one of the lunch tables. He lifted his leg up along the bench to have it elevated.

"How does it feel?"

"Aches…" Jack admitted.

"Want me to go get the wheelchair ready?" Michelle asked, rubbing Jack's shoulders.

"If you could keep doing that for a little while, it would nice…" Jack drawled, leaning over the table.

Michelle kept kneading his shoulders.

After a little while a familiar blond came through the open door and caused Jack and Michelle to look up.

"I'll go get the wheelchair ready, okay?"

Jack nodded, "Okay darlin'"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Look at that, up and about!" Mac smiled, sitting down on the opposite side of the lunch table, "How does it feel?"

Jack shrugged, "Good. Kinda…"

"It's sore, right?"

"More like it _hurts_ …" Jack frowned, "But it'll pass."

Mac nodded, "Where'd Michelle head off to?"

"Oh, she's just gettin' me a wheelchair. She doesn't want me to strain myself…"

Mac nodded, "So… Getting out of the infirmary soon?"

Jack nodded. "About that… I've got a BIG favor to ask of you…"

"Huh? Okay, what is it?"

"See… If I'm gettin' home soon, that means Michelle will go home with me…" Jack started.

"Yeah…"

"My house kinda looks like what the inside of my head looked like just before this happened…" Jack winced with embarrassment and gestured to his cast.

"It's a mess?"

Jack nodded.

"You want me to clean it?"

Jack shrank in his seat, "Well, at least remove a few beer bottles and excavate the living room table…"

"Excavate?"

"There's a lot on it, okay?"

Mac smirked as he imagined how the house might look, Jack's house tended to look like the man's mental state. Which admittedly hadn't been the best before their last mission together.

"Okay, what will I see when I get there?"

"Empty bottles, clothes tossed at random places…" Jack shrugged, "Don't be alarmed of what you'll find on the table by the corner of the couch, I was just cleaning…"

"Cleaning? Cleaning what?"

Jack winced where he was sitting, and not because of his leg. "You'll see…"

"It'll look bad, right?"

Jack nodded.

"But you're not gonna tell me what it is?"

"No."

"Oh… -And you're gonna have to hang up a picture or two in the hallway…"

"You punched the wall?"

"I punched the wall…" Jack confirmed.

"Okay…" Mac nodded, "I'll do it…"

"Thanks man…" Jack smiled, "I owe you one…"

"Just get better…" Mac winked, "We need you back on the team you know…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle came back to the cafeteria a few minutes later with a wheelchair in front of her.

She set the chair beside Jack before she sat down on the opposite side of him. Her left hand resting loosely against her stomach under the table.

"Don't she look lovely?" Jack winked towards Mac as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her slightly closer.

Mac smirked, then nodded. "Yeah, Michelle… You look lovely…"

 **Okay, so… Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Guess there will be another along shortly…**


	62. Chapter 62

**Okay, next chapter… Next chapter…  
I'm diving into some slightly dark and muddy water again. Hope you don't mind. It's not for long this time. **

"Oh, Jack…" Mac sighed as he saw the living room. He glanced at all the beer bottles and cans.

"Really?" he asked no one in particular as he went to find a trash bag to pick up the remains of an apparent frat party.

He went to the task in a systematic fashion. Started in the corner with the fewest bottles and 'trash' and worked his way over to the table. Jack was right, Mac would have to excavate the table.

Mac filled one trash bag with cans and bottles. And one with random trash, like empty chips bags and stuff like that. Then he filled half of the next bag with the remaining bottles and cans, then he lifted a few magazines and froze.

"SHIT."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac snapped a picture of the things he had uncovered and sent it to Jack.

 _'Jack… What's this…?'_

 _'That's the things I  
warned you bout…  
Like I sayd, I was only  
cleaning.'_

 _'I don't believe you.'_

 _'Why? Its the truth…'_

 _'I can't find any gun-oil…  
That's one of the reasons.  
And the way you acted before  
you got shot. I know your  
head was in a bad place.  
I just didn't expect this!  
You can talk to me you know!'_

 _'You didn't fidn the  
gunoil? It should be there  
somewhere…'_

 _'Can't see it…'_

 _'Look in the couch. Or under  
it. Might have smacked it…'_

 _'Nada…  
And we should probably  
talk about this…'_

 _'Nothing to talk about,  
I was just cleaning…  
OH! Try under the  
small table by the wall!  
Might have sendt it the  
other way!'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac looked at the message for a few seconds. The sight of the guns he had found had sent chills down his spine. The thought of how bad Jack's head had been was not a fun thought to entertain. Mac shuddered. He gave the last message another look. Under the table?

Mac got down on his hands and knees and looked under the small table. Sure enough, there was a small bottle under there. Half of the oil inside had leaked out onto the floor, leaving a small wet spot under it.

Okay, maybe Jack was telling the truth. Maybe it wasn't entirely as bad as it had looked at first. He knew Jack was meticulous when it came to his weapons, the man cleaned them after every time they had been in use.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

 _'OK. Found the oil…  
Still not entirely  
sure whether to believe  
you or not. But we can  
take that later…'_

 _'I promice you I didn't  
plan on doing somthing  
_stupid! I would NEVER do  
that!'

 _'I can't just believe  
you blindly now…'_

 _'Remember us older guys  
talkin bout Charlie  
back in the sandbox?  
Coopers older brother…  
I couldn't do that to  
YOU, RILEY or any body  
else I love!' _

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac swallowed as he read the message another time. _Yeah, he remembered talk about Charlie_. He had never really caught on to what had happened. He just knew that whenever Charlie was talked about, eyes went misty and the mood went glum.

If Charlie had killed himself, that had hit the ones that knew him pretty hard. Obviously. Mac knew Jack missed the guy, he had caught on to that much. He had just guessed that it was a friend lost in battle, because they never really mentioned HOW.

Okay, Jack was probably speaking the truth. But Mac still wanted to talk to the older man about this.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

 _'OK. But I'm still  
gonna talk to you about  
this you know…'_

 _'Yeah Mac… I know.  
But can we take it  
later? Like, when Im  
back to the field?' _

_'I'm gonna keep an eye  
on you. And we're  
certainly gonna talk  
about this!'_

 _'Alredy agreed to  
that! Just askin for  
a little time to rest  
before we talk!'_

 _'Alright big guy!'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack let out a sigh and placed his phone back on the table beside his bed. He didn't really know how to feel right now. On one hand he was grateful for Mac's obvious concern, on the other hand, he had kept all this secret and dealt with it on his own for so long. Mac had been in the dark about it, Mac had been _safe_ from it.

"What's up?" Michelle nudged his good leg as she came into the room again, "You look troubled…"

Jack shook his head, "Just my leg… Aches a bit. Nothing to worry about…"

Michelle tilted her head, "Too late, I'm already worrying about you…"

A smile tugged at Jack's lips, "You worry about me?"

"It's a part of loving you, you know…" Michelle chuckled, "You need anything for that leg?"

Jack shook his head, "No… The leg is alright enough, I just need to see your pretty smile. That helps a lot…"

Michelle smiled, stepped over and kissed him on the lips. "I love you…"

"Love you too…"

 **Okay. So…**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	63. Chapter 63

**Okay Another chapter for you. Hope you'll enjoy it!**

 **(This is a few days later… FYI…)**

"So this is your house?" Michelle mused as she pulled up in front of a light beige house with a big parking lot in front of it.

It was a two story house. Huge for one person, well sized for two, fitting for a family. It had a porch towards the hill leading down to the city, a medium size lawn to the right of the house. A garage with a basketball basket hanging from above the ports.

"You play a lot of basket?" Michelle asked pointing towards the garage.

"I like to keep in shape…" Jack shrugged offering a wink, "That basket is gonna collect dust for the next few months though…"

Michelle looked over at Jack again and grabbed his hand, gave it a good squeeze and looked down at his leg. "Well, at least we get some good couch-snuggle time out of the deal…"

Jack grinned, "We could go inside, get started with snuggling up on the couch together…"

Michelle smiled, "I'm all for it!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Wow, it's really nice here!" Michelle awed as she entered the hallway.

"You think?"

"Yeah!" Michelle nodded, "You fixed it up by yourself?"

Jack nodded. "I like to keep myself busy… But I haven't done much the last two years. Kinda hit the point where everything felt complete…"

Michelle nodded and studied the rooms she could see from the hallway. "Really, you could be a carpenter…"

Jack chuckled, and admired Michelle as she leaned to inspect the kitchen better.

"Did you do the tiles too?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, pretty much fixed it all from the bottom. I've got the 'before' pictures in an album somewhere…"

"You do?" Michelle turned with an anticipating smile.

Jack nodded again.

"Can I see them?"

"Sure…" Jack chuckled, "You like stuff like that?"

"I like home improvement shows a lot…" Michelle nodded.

"I think that's a common trait with women…" Jack shrugged, "My mom, my sisters… You can forget to change the channel if the Property Brothers or something like that is on…"

Michelle chuckled, "Yeah, with me and my mom too…"

Jack nodded, "Okay, I'll find the album someday soon…"

"Great!"

"Now… I have to sit down soon, but maybe I should show you around first. At least around the first floor…"

Michelle nodded.

"Well, kitchen is to the right of you… We could start with that one, since it's the closest."

Michelle nodded and stepped into the kitchen, Jack followed right behind her.

"Well…" Jack let himself lean against the kitchen counter, "I didn't do much to the floor, just sanded it down and gave it a few coats of paint…"

Michelle nodded and looked down at the hardwood floor.

Then he slapped his hand down on the counter, "I found these in some old home that was about to get demolished, I got them for free… A bit sanding paper and some paint later, they look fairly decent…"

"Fairly decent?" Michelle chuckled, "They look amazing!"

"Thank you…" he smiled, "I set up this wall behind me, this and the guest bedroom was one room before. Set up panel on the walls and found some tiles to have on the short wall over the counters."

"And the table?"

"Made it…"

"You made it?"

"Yeah… Well, I Frankenstein'ed it anyway…" Jack shrugged, "Found the legs of it at the same place as I found the counters, the rest I built…"

Michelle chuckled.

"Now, which room do you want to see next…?"

A mischievous smile spread across her plump lips. "Well, I'd like to see the bedroom… But I'm not sure we would get out of it before tomorrow morning then…"

Jack grinned and blushed, "Darlin', as much as I'd love to… I can't really perform in any way…"

"Oh, I know that…" Michelle chuckled, "I saw you getting breathless from walking from the car and in here… But we could lay in bed, get your leg propped up on a few pillows or something. You could have an arm around me, I could have my head on your shoulder… Just snuggle…"

Jack pushed off from the counter and adjusted his crutches. "Well… Hallway, last door to the left!"

Michelle grinned and got up on her toes to kiss Jack, he bent his neck to make it easier for her.

"Let's go lay down…" she whispered afterwards.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack almost let out a whistle as he opened the door to his bedroom.

"What?"

"Well, Mac went above and beyond…" Jack chuckled, "That's all…"

"Huh?"

"Well, I knew the house wasn't exactly presentable when I left it before the last mission. I asked Mac to just swing by and clean up the worst of it. Like the stuff that was on the table in the living room and a few other small things…" Jack explained, "I did not expect him to change the bed or anything like that…"

Michelle chuckled, "You're lucky to have a friend like him…"

"Yeah, yeah I am…" Jack agreed as he hobbled over to the bed, then he sat down and lifted his right leg onto the bed. He let out a satisfied grunt as he was able to lay back and relax.

Michelle crawled in beside him, then she looked down at his leg for a brief second. "Should I get some pillows or something for that leg? Something to prop it up on…?"

Jack grimaced and nodded slightly. "Cushions of the couch, it's possible to take them off… Just like at your place…"

Michelle nodded, "I'll go get a few… Then we cuddle…"

Jack grinned, "I'll be waiting here for you…"

"I was hoping you would say something like that…"

 **Okay, that's enough for this chapter. Hope you'll enjoy the next one too.**


	64. Chapter 64

**Okay. So? Still with me? Anybody out there?  
-if so, well… Good!**

"Like that, is that good?" she asked as she lowered his leg onto the combo of one cushion and one pillow, "Or is it too low or too high?"

"Nah… Perfect…" Jack smiled, then he patted the space beside him, "Now, come on down, my shoulder misses your head…"

"You don't have to ask me twice…" Michelle smiled and got in beside him, then she assumed the position. Her head on his shoulder, one arm across his chest.

They laid there for a couple of minutes, until Michelle tapped on his chest a few times to catch his attention. "Hey, let me have your hand…"

Jack furrowed his brows, but raised his right hand for her to grab. She guided it across his torso and placed his palm against her belly.

"I think I'm getting bigger…" she whispered, inching closer.

Jack looked down at where his hand met the fabric covering her belly. "Not really that big…"

"I'm getting bigger!"

Jack just grinned.

Michelle rolled her eyes and sat up on her knees. She gripped her shirt and pulled it over her head. "See?"

"You're sitting down… Your belly bulges when you sit down like that, no matter whether you're pregnant or not…"

Michelle rolled her eyes and climbed off the bed. Then she stood up in only her pants and bra. "See? I'm getting bigger…"

"Okay, maybe you are…" Jack grinned.

"How do you think I look?"

"Awesome…" Jack smiled proudly.

"Soon I'll be even bigger…" she declared, her voice was somewhere between proud and concerned. Like she didn't really know what to think of it.

"I can't wait…" Jack whispered.

"Hm?"

"I can't wait…" Jack repeated a little louder, a big smile on his face.

"You can't wait?"

Jack nodded, "You're going to look amazing…"

"I'll look like someone put a watermelon under my shirt…"

"You'll probably be sexy enough to make everyone else jealous…" Jack shrugged, "I already know I won't be able to keep my eyes off of you…"

Michelle grinned and crawled back onto the bed, then she leaned bent down to kiss him again. Passionately.

"Oh dear lord…" Jack murmured, "Oh how I wish my leg was okay…"

She nodded, "Me too…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle didn't know she had fallen asleep before she woke up the next morning. Apparently Jack had too.

She laid there for a little while, feeling the rise and fall of his chest under her head. She would have laid like that forever, if she didn't have to pee.

She managed to untangle and crawl out of bed without Jack noticing, which was weird, cause the man had a tendency to wake from the slightest disturbance. She chalked it up to years of being a soldier and an agent, but there were some times he could sleep through almost anything too. He had mentioned it happening more often when she was around, she wasn't sure whether she should believe him or not. But she had to admit, he usually seemed to sleep well when they fell asleep tangled together with each other.

She slipped out into the hallway. She knew where the kitchen was, she knew where the living room was, she knew the guest bedroom. And she knew where Jack's bedroom was, or was it their bedroom?

The bathroom had to be one of the two remaining rooms on this floor. If she knew Jack well enough, and she thought she did, he would have installed bathrooms on both floors. There was no way a man who lived in constant risk of getting injured just had one bath upstairs. There had to be one down here too.

There wasn't any hints on the outside of the doors. No little heart with WC carved into it, not some kid figurine with a potty to tell her which room to choose.

She opened the first unknown door. Okay, that wasn't it. This was obviously the other guest bedroom.

She crossed the hall and opened the other door. That was it.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After doing what had to be done, she padded over to the kitchen. If she found something to make breakfast out of, she would. If not, she would wake Jack up and ask where the closest grocery store was.

Opening the fridge door she found one single sixpack of Coors. Nothing else.

"Okay, looks like I'm gonna have to wake him up…" she whispered to herself. "Maybe there's something I could use in the cupboards…"

She opened a few. Found some sugar, some flour, baking powder. Ingredients she used for lots of things, but she couldn't really make anything out of those few things alone. So she turned around and went back to the bedroom.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

As she started to climb back onto the bed, Jack slightly opened his eyes.

"G'Mornin'…" he drawled, stretching his back, "You get a good night's sleep?"

"Yeah…" she smiled, as she laid down next to him, "And you?"

He nodded.

"I was thinking about making some breakfast, but I couldn't find anything in the kitchen to make breakfast out of…"

Jack grimaced slightly, "Well, we better go shopping then… Just give me a little while to get ready and we'll go to the store…"

"Or, you could just tell me where the nearest store is, and you could stay here and rest." Michelle offered.

Jack smiled, "That's an offer I can't really refuse…"

"Do you want me to bring you your medicine? I think it's still in the bag in the hallway…"

Jack shook his head, "No… I can get it myself when I get up…"

"I can grab them for you…" she offered again.

"No, darlin'… I've managed to get by for years without all of this these kind gestures of yours… I'm gonna get lazy if you keep it up…"

"I doubt it…" Michelle chuckled, "There's no way you're gonna get lazy… It's not in your nature…"

"Oh, I can be…" Jack chuckled, stretching again. "I better be able to get my meds for myself, cause this recovery is bound to be a long one, and I don't want to have to rely on you when you get farther along…"

"You know I'll still be able to get your meds even when I'm about to deliver… I won't be handicapped…" Michelle sat up on her knees and placed her hands on her hips.

"I know…" Jack nodded, "I just… It's just…"

"Hmm?"

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do all this for me…" Jack offered a shy smile, "It's just a short trip down the hallway, it's on my way to the living room anyway…"

"You're really set on getting them yourself?"

"This time, yes."

"Okay.

"Just to know that I can, that I'm not getting helpless… You know…"

Michelle smiled and bent down to kiss him, "Okay, but I'll keep asking you, you know that…?"

Jack nodded, "And I'm grateful for it."

"So… Where's the nearest grocery store?"

"Just follow the road to the first roundabout you get to… Take the third exit, after about 2 miles, you get a store on the right…"

"Follow the road we came from, third exit and two more miles. Okay…"

"You've got it darlin'…" Jack grinned.

"Anything special you want?" Michelle asked, rubbing his chest. "Any special wishes for breakfast or dinner?"

Jack shook his head, "No…"

"Just remember to bring milk for breakfast?"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah… True…"

"Okay, call me if you need me… If you get yourself into trouble or hurt yourself or something…"

Jack nodded, "I'll keep my phone on me…"

"Do you know where it is right now?"

"Yeah, in my pants on the floor, left back pocket…"

"Okay, so… You're good?"

Jack nodded.

"See you in a little while then…" Michelle winked.

"Yeah, see you…"

 **Well, another chapter down. Hope I'm not boring you…**


	65. Chapter 65

**Okay next chapter. Next chapter. Next chapter…**

 **Hope you'll enjoy it…**

Jack sat up, almost instantly regretting his decision to not have Michelle bring him his meds before she left to go grocery shopping.

He hyperventilated for a little while, taking no less than four minutes to calm down enough to get anywhere.

Taking deep breaths and pressing the air out past his lips, he contemplated whether to get up or just stay in bed until to Michelle got back.

No, he had to get up. He had to push himself.

He lifted his leg off the bed, growling when the pain hit him.

"I'm okay, I'm okay…" Jack gasped, clutching his hands to keep from lashing out at nearby objects. He would only end up causing himself more pain if he did.

He bent down to pick up one of his crutches, and used it to get a hold of his pants. A few minutes later, he had both his pants and his t-shirt on him, and was ready to get up and out of bed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

His vision narrowed. The outer edges fading out to black.

He made it to the doorway and gripped the frame. He leaned heavily on one of the sides, breathing hard.

He wasn't really afraid of passing out. No. The times he had done that in the past, he hadn't felt like this before it happened. No. He had just woken up on the floor, or at the bottom of a flight of stairs or something. No. He was not about to pass out.

"Get a grip Jack…" he winced as he squeezed his eyes shut.

It took a few minutes before he felt well enough to make a second attempt. He had to pick up his right crutch from the floor before he could though.

He adjusted his crutches, and hobbled towards his duffle bag which had not made it further into his house than the just past the doorsill.

Every step hurt. Made him want to shout out in pain, or throw up, maybe even both.

He made it to the bag, leaned his crutches up against the wall and bent down to ruffle through the bag. He found what he was looking for and popped a pill into his mouth and dry-swallowed it. He placed the orange container with the rest of his pills into his pocket.

He hobbled into the bathroom, took a piss, washed his hands. Brushed his teeth, washed his face.

Then he went to the living room and lowered himself onto the couch. After just a few seconds of sitting there, he pulled out one of the cushions and placed it by his cast covered leg, then he used both hands to guide the cast on top of it.

He picked up the remote and flipped the TV on.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

45 minutes of Discovery Channel later, the front door opened. Jack looked up and saw Michelle come in with a couple of shopping bags in her arms.

"Did you find it?"

Michelle nodded, "Finding the store was easy enough. Figuring out where things were inside the store took a bit more time…"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, unfamiliar stores will do that to you…"

"But there was a really good selection there!" Michelle added when she returned from placing the bags on the kitchen counter.

Jack nodded.

"I've got two more bags in the car. I'll be right back. Do you want pancakes or eggs and bacon?"

Jack grinned, "Eggs and bacon sounds great…"

Michelle smiled, "Okay, I'll fix some. How are you feeling soldier?"

Jack produced the orange container from his pocket, with a smirk he shook it to make the pills inside bounce around and make a rattle. "Feelin' a lot better now."

"That's good…" Michelle smiled and winked at Jack.

"And you?" Jack craned his neck to get a better view of her, "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Me? I've never been better!" she grinned.

"The little one treating you nice?"

Michelle nodded and placed her hand over her tummy, "Yeah, we're getting along…"

"That's good…" Jack smiled, "You think it'll be a girl or a boy?"

"I don't know…" Michelle shrugged, "Could be both, twins? I'm certainly big enough…"

"Dear heavens, I hope not…" Jack drawled running a hand down his face.

"What, you of all people don't hope for twins?" Michelle chuckled with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh, no…" Jack shook his head, "I'd enjoy it if we managed to get twins. Just NOT on the first attempt, that's all…"

"So you do want more kids?"

Jack smirked, "I'd love it if we had enough for a full football team… You know, if the possibility arises…"

"You do?" Michelle raised her eyebrows.

Jack nodded innocently.

Michelle smiled, "Really?"

Jack nodded a bit more decisively.

"Good… Good to know we both want a big family." Michelle grinned.

Jack grinned wider, then he nodded towards her belly again, "But the two of you are getting along nicely?"

Michelle nodded and rubbed her own tummy, "Yeah, the little one doesn't make me ill anymore…"

"Good…" Jack smiled.

 **Okay, gonna hop over to the next chapter now. See ya!**


	66. Chapter 66

**Okay. So… Last chapter was set one of the last days of January. Think I had it written up as January 31** **st**

 **And because I'm way too into details, (and picked up Jack's birthday from his driver's license in that one episode) I just had to write a birthday chapter. (If anyone needs to know the date for this chapter, it is Saturday February 3** **rd** **2018)**

"Happy birthday handsome…" her sweet voice woke him up.

He stretched his back and shoulders and opened his eyes, taking in the sweet smile on her lips and the tray with breakfast in her hands.

"Wow, breakfast in bed?" he mused.

She nodded and rested the tray down on the nightstand, she set the coffee down on the flat surface before she moved the tray over to the middle of the bed.

"Darlin' this is all too much…" Jack smiled as he gently propped himself up on his elbows, finally that didn't hurt too much.

"No…" Michelle smiled and picked up three of the cushions she had found from the couch upstairs yesterday. She walked around the bed to place them behind Jack's back, to help him sit up without too much struggle.

"Thanks babe…" Jack smirked.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… Any plans for today?" Michelle bit her lips in anticipation.

Jack shook his head, "No… I don't have any plans. Not other than spending a slow evening with you…"

"Care if I take charge and arrange something?"

"No…" Jack shook his head, "Just go ahead… As long as I don't have to move around much…"

"No, I thought about having some friends over here… That's all, you won't have to move around anymore than you would if it was just the two of us… What do you think?"

"Sounds good…" Jack nodded. "But don't let yourself stress about it…"

"Oh, I won't…" Michelle grinned, "I like doing stuff like this…"

"Okay… If you really want to…" Jack grinned, "But I'm not helping you with any of it…"

Michelle chuckled, "I already figured that… What's your favorite cake?"

"My mom's carrot cake…" Jack smirked, "But any kind of carrot cake is good…"

"And what are my chances of getting her recipe?"

"Oh, you'll get her recipe… And 15 other recipes just for the fun of it…" Jack laughed.

Michelle placed a kiss on Jack's forehead, "Okay, I've got a call to make…"

"Darlin' you don't have to…"

"Hey, I want to widen my recipe collection…" Michelle winked, "And you know I love baking…"

"And that's the reason I'll be fat in a few years…" Jack chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nah… Doubt it… You can't sit still for long enough to get fat…"

"Hey, I'm sitting still right now…"

"Barely…" Michelle chuckled looking down at Jack's left foot, which kept a rapid rhythm. His right one was actually still where it was elevated on a cushion, but then again, his right leg was in a cast from hip to toe.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She was in the middle of baking the carrot cake when her phone buzzed for the fifth time. She had already gotten the answer from Mac, Riley, Bozer and Matty, they were all coming.

She picked up her phone and opened the message.

 _'Michelle, we would love  
to come. At what time do  
you want us to show up?'_

She smiled and started typing.

 _'You can drop by around  
7\. Think I'll have the  
dinner ready right about  
then…  
Oh, and I almost forgot!  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!' _

_'Thank you :-D'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So…" Michelle sighed as she slumped down in the chair next to Jack, allowing herself a few minutes of rest. "We've got a decision to make…"

Jack looked over, not able to hide his confusion. "Okay?"

"See this bump here?" Michelle prodded her belly, it wasn't much of a bump, but it was noticeable if you already knew she was pregnant.

"I love that tiny bump…" Jack winked.

"I know that…" she chuckled, "But… Do we want to announce this now, or do we want to wait with it…?"

"Well, Matty already knows, right?"

Michelle nodded, "I kinda had to tell her as soon as we found out, it didn't feel right to do it any other way…"

Jack nodded, "Well, if there is one thing that lady can, it is to keep a secret."

Michelle nodded again, "It's in the job description I guess…"

Jack nodded.

"Well, are we gonna tell them or what?"

"I don't know…" Jack shrugged, "I'm super excited to tell everyone, but…"

"…It's a nice little secret to carry around?" Michelle offered.

Jack nodded.

"I know…" she agreed.

"What do you want to do?"

She shrugged, "Parts of me want to shout it from the rooftops… Other parts wants to keep it a secret in case something goes wrong…"

Jack nodded at her thoughts, "Yeah, it's scary… Isn't it?"

Michelle nodded and looked down at her tummy. "If I wear the dress I planned on wearing at first, they are likely to guess it… Even if they don't know already…"

"You're not that big yet…" Jack reminded her.

"You sure?"

"Well, you are changing. I'll admit that, but you're not that far along… Nobody will just look at you and think 'Oh, you're pregnant, right?'"

Michelle chuckled, "Well, strangers wouldn't assume that, yet. But these people have met me before… They know how I look, or looked."

Jack shrugged, "What dress do you want to wear?"

Michelle shrugged, "I don't really know, the green one will definitely show off this little thing… Didn't really think about that before just now…"

"Well, then wear the green one!" Jack smiled, "If anyone brings up the subject, we'll tell them that we're expecting a tiny creature to come into our lives in seven more months or so… If they don't ask, we won't tell…"

Michelle chuckled and placed her left hand over her small, small, small baby bump, "Actually, that's not a bad idea…"

"Hey, it's been known to happen…"

"What?"

"Me, getting good ideas. You know… Once in a while…" Jack winked.

Michelle laughed, "Yeah, I know…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Wow, Michelle! You look absolutely amazing!" Matty smiled as she showed up at their door, she had a neatly wrapped gift in her left hand.

"Thank you…" Michelle smiled, she had changed into her green dress, but had an apron covering the front of it. "I'm sorry, I'm still a little busy in the kitchen, I didn't expect anyone for another 30 minutes… Jack's in the living room…"

"Well, I thought I could show up early. Help out a little. Maybe even gossip a bit about the little secret…"

Michelle grinned, and looked down at her own belly. "Well, by the way my clothes has started feeling tight the last couple of weeks, I doubt it's gonna be a secret much longer…"

Matty grinned, then she looked down at the gift in her hand. "Oh, I better go give this to the birthday boy before the rest of the squad gets here… Well, at least the card… There's something that my spies might take as clues there… It's not really a part of the birthday gift, but it's more 'for the couple'…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, get in there with Jack and open it up…"

"Okay…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"You open it…" Jack handed the envelope over to Michelle, "It says 'to Michelle and Jack' and I'll probably open other gifts this evening. Only fair you take this one…"

"Okay…" Michelle nodded as she started peeling the flap of the envelope. Then she looked over at Matty, "What is it?"

"I'm not telling you that… You have to open it…"

Michelle nodded and continued peeling open the envelope.

She finally got the adhesive parts parted and pulled out a card, opened it up and two smaller cards fell out. Confused she picked them up and studied them. It was gift cards.

She studied the largest card again, it had a short 'Happy Birthday wish' for Jack, which she read out loud. And Jack thanked Matty.

Then she returned her focus to the two smaller cards. One was a gift card for a couple's spa-weekend, the other one was a gift card from one of those baby shops.

"I thought you two could use a nice weekend together, when Jack gets a little bit better and you get a little further along…" Matty shrugged, "And I couldn't help myself with the other gift card, because I know there are a few things that a couple most likely should have at home before the baby gets there, and I figured a gift card for that would be nice too…"

"Thank you so much!" Michelle grinned, "For both of the gestures…"

"I hope you don't think it's too early for that…"

"No, no…" Michelle grinned, "It's thoughtful of you…"

"Good, my sister she thought the same thing was early when she was five months along…"

"You have a sister?" Jack's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah Jack… I do…" Matty laughed, shaking her head, "And I really thought you knew that already… I've told you before…"

"Blame one of the concussions I've probably gotten since you told me, I bet there are multiple to choose from…"

"Concussions?" Michelle asked, Jack nodded.

Matty nodded, "Yeah, that would be a valid reason to forget…"

"Well, I have to get back to the food…" Michelle announced as she stood back up.

"I'll help you…" Matty smiled and followed Michelle out to the kitchen.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… How does it feel?" Matty asked nodding towards Michelle's stomach.

"Being pregnant?"

Matty nodded.

"It feels good, I think the morning sickness has stopped by now too…" Michelle grinned, "That's a stupid name by the way… 'Morning sickness', more like 'any time of day sickness'."

Matty chuckled, "But you're feeling good now?"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, I am…"

"Good…" Matty smiled as they heard another vehicle, a motorcycle, coming up the driveway. "The others doesn't know, right?"

Michelle nodded her head, "No. Not yet…"

"Change subject then?"

Michelle nodded, "We might be announcing it later this evening, if someone brings it up."

Then she gave Matty a look.

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

"Thank you…"

 **Okay. So… Figured the birthday chapter had to be divided into bite-sized pieces.**

 **Also, I'd like to thank Gib, for helping me decide what cake Jack wanted. My first pick might have been a little bit too Norwegian/Scandinavian for Jack.**


	67. Chapter 67

**Okay, hope you're enjoying yourselves.**

The kickstand of the '96 Suzuki met the asphalt and the weight of the bike eased onto it. The black lacquer glistened and the chrome shone bright in the February sun.

The engine was turned off, and the keys put into the pocket of a leather jacket. The driver crawled off the bike and undid the helmet. The driver opened the saddle pocket. A gift paper wrapped box was pulled out of the leather satchel.

Leather boots crossed the asphalt towards the front door, they went up the two-three steps and the motorcycle driver knocked on the door.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Wow, sweet ride!" Michelle awed, trying to get a view of the motorcycle as she opened the door.

"Thanks…" Riley smiled and looked over her own shoulder to catch a glimpse of the bike.

"Is it an Intruder?" Michelle asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, an 800…" Riley nodded, "A smaller version of the one Jack had when I was a kid… You're into motorcycles?"

Michelle shrugged, "Used to be… But then I went to college and I didn't bring my bike, and I kinda just… I forgot to use it, I guess."

"You had your own bike?"

Michelle nodded, "Yup, I had a Kawasaki. 1986 Vulcan… A red one…"

"Well, if you get yourself a bike, we could hit the road together sometime…" Riley offered, "I bet that would be lots of fun…"

Michelle blushed slightly and offered a smile, she had to fight to keep her hand away from her belly, "Yeah, that would be fun. Come on in!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack looked at the gift from Riley, he had still to open it.

"Ri, you didn't have to…" Jack held up the box.

"It's nothing big…" Riley shrugged, as she sat down beside him.

Jack nodded and started tearing off the paper. He looked at the anonymous box for a little while, before he opened it up.

He found a pair of socks, the kind he used. He smiled.

"Thanks…"

"Check under the socks…" Riley prompted.

Jack lifted the socks, and the sight brought tears to his eye.

"This… It's…" Jack sniffed and wiped his eyes, "You still had it?"

Riley nodded, "I thought you might want it back…"

Jack swallowed hard and lifted the item out of the box. He turned it in his hands and smiled.

"What is that?" Michelle asked, stretching to get a better view of the thing.

"It's a cup. Riley gave it to me for father's day once upon a time…" Jack smiled, and looked at the cup. It read 'world's best Jack' in Riley's handwriting. "Thank you Riley…"

"Hey…" Riley smiled, "It's still the truth…"

Jack wiped at his eyes again, before he spread his arms wide and waved for Riley to come closer, "Come 'ere… I've got a hug for you!"

Riley hugged Jack tight. The two of them stayed in the living room and talked until the rest of the guests got there, Matty and Michelle went back to the kitchen.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Are you excited to tell them?" Anna asked pressing her lips together as she looked over at Nick. They were the last ones to arrive.

He nodded.

"I'm super excited!" Anna let her head fall back against the headrest.

"Me too…" Nick agreed, clasping his hand around hers. "I love you…"

Anna smiled and leaned over the middle console to kiss him.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Michelle…" Nick furrowed his brows in confusion for a split second, before he smiled, "It's good to see you!"

"Thank you…" Michelle beamed and wrapped Nick in a hug, "And Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you…" Nick grinned, hugging her back.

When they broke apart, Nick tried to look past her to see the living room. "Why aren't Jack answering the door?"

"Oh, err…" Michelle looked over her own shoulder to see if Nick would have been able to see Jack. "He had an accident, broke his leg… He has his ass firmly planted on the couch."

"Shit… Is he alright?" Nick's smile was gone instantly as he started to make his way past Michelle, leaving the two ladies alone on the stairs.

"…So…" Anna shrugged

"-yeah…" Michelle nodded.

"How are you doing?"

"Great…" Michelle smiled, "And you?"

"Really great…"

"Good…" Michelle grinned, "Come on in, dinner will be ready in five…"

Anna nodded and walked up the steps, hugging Michelle as she got on level with her. "Are you alright?"

Michelle nodded.

"How did it happen?"

"Jack?"

Anna nodded, she had her hands on Michelle's shoulders, looking at her carefully.

"He got run over…" Michelle bit her lip after delivering the lie she had agreed on with Jack.

"WHAT? HOW?"

Michelle shook her head, "Some lunatic got behind the wheel all hopped up on Ecstasy or something. The car ran over his right thigh. Comminuted fracture."

"Oh, that's painful…" Anna frowned, "One of my extreme sports buddies suffered a comminuted fracture to his upper arm. That's some real pain right there…"

Michelle nodded, "He doesn't move more than he has to… It's very unlike him…"

Anna nodded understandingly, "How long is it since it happened?"

"Just a little over a week…" Michelle shrugged. It was a small lie to cover for the truth.

"Poor fella…" Anna frowned, Michelle nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Man… What happened?" Nick pointed to the long cast.

"Tried to check out the undercarriage of a Dodge Ram while it drove…" Jack drawled, frowning down at his leg.

"What?"

"I got run over…" Jack clarified, he didn't have to explain anything to his team mates, they already knew that Jack's family thought he was a police officer and a stunt double.

"What's the damage?" Nick knelt down to get to Jack's eyelevel. His knees popped and crackled as he did, his face showed the discomfort it brought him.

"Got a communication fracture, they placed a steel rod through my thigh."

"Communication fracture?" Nick couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. "You mean comminuted?"

"Yeah… That…" Jack nodded.

"So… How long is it before you start walking again?"

Jack shrugged, "Well, I've got six more weeks, minimum, with cast and crutches."

Nick nodded and hauled himself upright again. "Heck of a way to spend your birthday…"

Jack chuckled grimly, "Well, what can I say? I got a little bored…"

Nick shook his head in defeat.

Jack rubbed his left hand over his left thigh as a distraction, "Hey, little brother?"

"Hm?"

"Happy birthday…" Jack smiled with his arms open-wide. Nick smiled back and moved in for a hug.

"You know what my birthday wish is?" Nick whispered.

Jack shook his head against Nick's shoulder, even though he was fairly certain what the wish would be.

"I'm wishing for you to quit callin' me little brother…" Nick drawled with a light chuckle.

Jack couldn't help but grin.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack gritted his teeth against the pain radiating from his thigh. He looked down at the bare cast, He had one of his _many_ one-legged jeans on. A lifetime of dangerous professions had left him with a few custom clothing articles. Like jeans with one leg cut off to make it possible for him to wear it with a cast, or shirts with Velcro sown in to act as buttons for when one of his hands were out of working order.

His jaw worked against the agony, his right hand was clasped so hard his knuckles turned white. He tried to keep it hidden, he didn't want to alarm the others. Didn't want to bring more attention to himself or his injury than strictly necessary.

"Jack…" Michelle whispered from her place beside him.

He nodded marginally.

"You need something for your leg?" she asked silently, "You're getting awfully pale…"

Jack filled his lungs with air, held it a couple of seconds and let it go again. Then he nodded. "Would be great… But it's no hurry…"

She placed her hand over his arm and gave it a squeeze, then she stood up and went to get a glass of water and some medicine.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After she gave him his meds, she turned to the others, "Well, dinner is ready, there's some sort of standing buffet going on in the kitchen. We figured we could eat out here, since it's a place where Jack can sit sort of comfortably."

The others nodded in agreement.

"What can I bring you?"

"Just… A little bit of everything…" Jack shrugged, "Not too much though…"

Michelle nodded as she ducked into the kitchen. The others followed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They were done eating and Riley and Michelle had gathered up the plates, rinsed off them and put them into the dishwasher.

When they came back into the living room and sat back down again, Nick and Anna stood up.

Nick clapped his hands together, and looked over at Anna. They both had mischievous smirks on their lips. "We've got a little bit of an announcement to make…"

"Oh?" Jack raised his eyebrows, looking between his twin and Anna.

"What is it?" Michelle wanted to know.

"Well, it's some pretty big and life-changing news…" Anna grinned, winking towards Nick.

"First, Jack… Michelle… Do you have any specific plans for this summer?"

They both shook their heads.

"Now you have!" Anna beamed, "Because July 1st…"

"-You are going to our wedding!" Nick finished.

"We finally set the date!" Anna smiled as she wrapped an arm around Nick's waist.

"Wow! Congratulations!"

"Yeah! That's awesome!" Jack agreed, "That's big news! I'd get up to give the both of you another hug, but…"

Jack trailed off and gestured to his fiberglass covered leg, as a hint for the other couple to move closer to him. Preferably within hugging distance.

The other guests, Riley, Matty, Mac and Bozer, also congratulated the couple for setting the date.

"Thanks…" Nick grinned, a big ol' million watt smile.

"Thank you, thank you all so much…" Anna blushed, then she looked over at Nick again. A small look shared between them before she turned her attention to the other couple, Jack and Michelle.

"How about you?" she asked, casting a glimpse over at Nick before se looked back at the two in the corner of the couch again, "Any big, life changing news?"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle's throat ran dry. She didn't know what to answer, didn't know how to answer. In desperation she looked over at Jack, hoping that he was better equipped for this question.

"I don't know…" he drawled and looked over at her, "Do we have any _big, life changing news?_ "

All Michelle could do was shrug.

"Nah… I don't think we've got any _big_ , life changing, news…" he shrugged, "We're certainly not getting married just yet… I haven't proposed either…"

A smirk spread across her lips. She nodded, squeezed his hand. It was her giving him the green light to drop hints like crazy.

"So no… No _big_ news…"

"Wait-wait-wait…" Riley shot in, "You're lying now, right?"

"Am I?" Jack grinned sheepishly.

"I don't know!" Riley shot back, then she looked at Mac, "What do you hear?"

"Hear?" Mac frowned, not really catching on to Riley's train of thoughts.

"Yeah! Definitely!" Bozer nodded, "It's like he's telling something, but he's not telling it! Right Ri?"

"Exactly!" Riley nodded.

Mac's face contorted in confusion for a brief second, then it untangled into realization. "Oh… Yeah, right… You're right…"

"But what is he NOT saying?" Bozer looked at the other two young team members, "What is he hiding?"

"What are _they_ hiding…" Mac corrected. Bozer nodded.

Matty smiled. Nick and Anna were both slightly confused, not really keeping up with the other three's thought process.

"Not getting married. Not getting engaged…" Riley started eliminating options.

"Not buying a house I guess…" Mac shrugged, swiping a hand across the room.

"Not moving either I hope…" Bozer added.

"Relax, we're staying right here…" Michelle grinned, the tension had left her body again, and what had scared her halfway to death less than a minute ago, was now fun.

"Well, knowing Jack… He wouldn't go ahead and get a dog until his leg was hea…" Riley froze in her tracks, then she stood up abruptly and stepped out onto the floor. "Michelle, could you come here please?"

Michelle blushed a bit as she stood up, but it was barely noticeable. She walked over to Riley, her right hand nervously toying with her hair.

Riley looked Michelle up and down, like she was scanning her in detail. A smirk spread across her face, when she stopped face to face with Michelle again after walking around her twice.

"I'm gonna ask you one question…" she started, "And it's because I've eliminated most of the other things I can think of… This has nothing to do with how you look, in any way…"

Michelle nodded, she already knew Riley was on the right track, but she played stupid for a few more seconds.

"-Are you pregnant?"

There was no way of hiding the smile that captured her face. Or the smile Jack sported. There was no way of wiggling past this, no way to brush it off like it was false.

She nodded.

"YOU ARE!" Riley almost shrieked, "REALLY? YOU'RE PREGNANT?!"

Michelle nodded again.

"Congrats!" Riley beamed and wrapped Michelle in a big hug. "How far along are you?"

"10 weeks…" Michelle blushed, "It's still pretty early…"

"Oh My God!" Riley exclaimed with a giant grin, "Guys, I'm so happy for you!"

She hugged Michelle again, then turned to Jack, taking two quick steps to get close enough to hug him too, "Congratulations!"

"Thanks Riley…" Jack grinned, wiping off a tear that was trailing down his cheek, "Thank you…"

Before she let go of him she whispered, even lower, "Just promise me you won't change…"

"I won't…" Jack whispered back with a smile on his lips, "You'll always be my little girl… You know that…"

She nodded and let go. The others managed to get a word in to congratulate Michelle and Jack.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Oh my!" Nick let his head fall back against the back of the couch, "This cake tastes amazing…"

Jack nodded in agreement, "Yeah, tastes just right…"

Michelle smiled, "Well you were right, I got a lot more recipes than I asked your mom for…"

Jack chuckled, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Wait? This is mom's recipe?" Nick looked up.

Michelle nodded.

"I thought it felt familiar!" Nick grinned, "You aced it, by the way!"

"Thank you…" Michelle smiled, taking another bite of the cake herself. She had to admit, it tasted pretty darn good. And she couldn't wait to test out the other new recipes she had gotten.

"Jack would you like more coffee?"

Jack shook his head, "No thanks, Matty…"

This caused just about everybody to look at Jack.

"What?"

"You don't want more coffee?" Mac looked up.

Jack shook his head, "No… If I have more coffee I'll only have to go to the bathroom that much faster… And I don't want to move more than I absolutely have to…"

Mac nodded understandingly.

 **Okay… Okay… I hope you're having fun.**

 **So… Now the others know… I was really on the fence about this. I wanted them to have the secret, but I also wanted to have them tell it on his birthday…  
So… I had them tell the others.**

 **But, the rest of their families don't know yet…**

 **AND, I know a few of you hoped Riley would be a little 'cold' about this news. But… I couldn't…**


	68. Chapter 68

**Okay, I didn't know what to do with this chapter… Hope you'll enjoy it.**

Bozer watched carefully as Mac helped Jack stand up and handed him his crutches. He could see Jack trying to hide the strain of being upright, he could hear the way his breath hitched with each and every step he made. Bozer's stomach coiled as he realized what kind of pain his friend had to be in, because Jack wasn't one to whine about pain.

He scratched his cheek and looked down at his own legs. He had gone through some pretty intense training the last couple of weeks, so he hadn't been able to visit Jack in the infirmary as often as the other team members. He had been limited to once or twice a week, the others had been by once a day, approximately.

A gasped cussword brought his attention back to Jack, "Man, you okay?"

"Yeah." Jack blew out a breath, "I'm good… Just something tugging at the wound…"

"Wound?" Nick looked up in confusion, "There's a wound there too?"

Jack nodded as he let himself lean up against the doorframe, "Yeah… Open fracture…"

It was a lie, but close enough to the truth.

"The muscle in front of my thigh is pretty much shot…" Jack grimaced.

Both Nick and Anna missed the slightly horrified faces of the rest of the group.

"Are you okay?" Nick narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Hurts a lot, but I'll be fine…" Jack shrugged, "Just gotta let it all heal, and that'll take a little time judging by how it's feeling right now…"

Nick nodded as Jack pushed off the doorframe and continued hobbling towards the bathroom.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Bozer looked back down, the spy life was nothing like what he had once imagined.

Once he had thought it was all kick-ass action and a cool lifestyle. Now he knew better. He had known that getting injured was a part of the deal, but he had never thought about how much pain was involved. He had never really thought it through like that. He had never had a front row seat to it before.

He wasn't sure whether he was excited about being taught all the skills needed, or whether he was afraid of where it lead.

He was becoming a fairly good shot. Better than the average Joe, but he still had a long road ahead of him before he was on Jack's level. That was his goal. He had always been known for setting high goals for himself.

He let out a soft sigh, and shook his head gently.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack took a good look of himself in the mirror before he was ready to get back to his guests.

He looked like shit.

He was pale, he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week.

But he had. He had slept. He had slept plenty.

He bent down and splashed some water on his face. Dried it off on his sleeve. He blinked a few times and grabbed his crutches from where he had leaned them up against the counter.

He glanced down at his cast before he started moving towards the door again. He couldn't wait for this whole ordeal to be over with. The pain, the heavy and itchy cast, the hassle with the crutches. Another thing he almost couldn't wait for was being intimate with Michelle again. A different kind of intimate than they had been able to be the last few weeks. Laying together in bed, arms wrapped around each other. –It was nice, but sometimes a real good bang would be more than nice.

He shook his head and hopped towards the living room again.

 **Okay well I'll call this the end of this chapter… Hope you don't mind.**

 **I hope you're having a great day!**


	69. Chapter 69

**Okay, so… LETS GO!**

"Gee, Jack…" Mac winced as Jack came back, "You're white as a sheet!"

Jack didn't really acknowledge it as he took the last five hops over to his spot in the couch.

"Did anything happen? Did you step down on the foot or something?"

Jack shook his head, "Nah… Just pain… You wouldn't believe it, but it's a long hike over to the bathroom…"

Mac nodded and stood up in time to help ease Jack down, "Oh, I believe you buddy…"

Jack attempted a smile, but it turned into more of a grimace. He grabbed his cast and tried to lift it up onto the couch, but he didn't manage to get it high enough.

"Need help there, big guy?" Mac asked, hands held ready to intervene.

After a few seconds more of trying to lift his leg up, without having to set it down to change grip, Jack nodded. Mac helped.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… When are you due?" Anna leaned over and asked Michelle, a friendly smile on her lips.

"Either late August or early September…" Michelle smiled, looking towards her belly.

"Are you excited?"

Michelle nodded, "Very…"

Anna smiled, "That's good."

"Have the two of you thought about kids?"

The blonde shook her head, "No… Not yet… But I'm sure it won't be too long before we start planning…"

Michelle chuckled, "Yeah, well. We didn't really plan. It just happened and we rolled with it…"

Anna laughed, "I would't mind that situation… But now that we've decided on a date for the wedding, I don't want to get pregnant before that. I mean, I don't want to be pregnant in my wedding dress…"

Michelle shrugged, then nodded. "I get that…"

"I mean, there's nothing _wrong_ with it…" Anna ran her fingers through her hair, "But I've got this superficial wish to look fit and glamorous on my wedding day. Especially the photos."

Michelle laughed, "Don't we all?"

Anna chuckled and nodded.

Michelle cast a glance over at Jack. After another round with medications, he was starting to look better. He had regained most of his color, and he was more involved in the conversations around him.

"Well, luckily I don't have to worry about getting married the next 12 months at least… He has made it clear that he wants to be able to get down on one knee in front of me to propose, and he's still got a few months ahead of him before that is a possibility. And then it'll probably take some time before we pick a date and all that…"

Anna nodded, then she leaned over and whispered, "When he asks, what are you gonna say?"

Michelle blushed, "Yes. Probably…"

"Good. Can't wait to call you my sister-in-law…" Anna winked.

"Right back at you…" Michelle grinned.

 **Fairly short chapter. I know, sorry.**


	70. Chapter 70

**Okay this will probably be a short one too. Like, just one scene. Maybe two or thee… Who knows..**

"Damn that's good…" Jack drawled as he stretched his shoulders. It was finally evening, the guests had left and they were finally able to lay down.

Michelle smirked as she took off her dress. "How was your day, soldier?"

He hummed, then he settled for an answer, "It was great darlin'…"

"I hope it wasn't too much…" she started, "You look pretty tired…"

He shook his head, "No… It was great. Well, 'cept for the leg… That sucks…"

Michelle nodded as she helped Jack place his leg on two cushions. "How's that?"

"Almost comfortable…"

"Too high?" she asked, "Or too low?"

"Too throbbing, that's all…" Jack winced.

"Throbbing?" Michelle repeated, "Has it throbbed before?"

Jack shrugged, "A little…"

"Jack… This might be important…"

"It has throbbed, but it's been a little bit worse today?"

"Since when?"

Jack shrugged.

"Since the morning?" she asked.

"No…" Jack scratched his neck, "Since that trip to the bathroom… Guess I tried to lift my leg a little, something just tugged at my thigh… Just a little pop…"

"And it got worse?"

Jack shrugged at first, then he nodded. "Yeah, a little… Not much…"

"We should probably get it checked out…" Michelle declared with a worried tone, she kept her eyes trained on his cast, "It doesn't sound good…"

"Relax… It's happened multiple times before…"

"That your thigh has popped?"

"Well, not my thigh…" Jack shrugged.

"Then we should get it checked out."

Jack shook his head, "It can wait until tomorrow."

"Don't you realize that this could be bad?"

"No… Cause it's happened like eight or nine times before, and everything was alright after a few days… It happened with my shoulder when that was turned into Swiss cheese. It happened with my leg when I got that nasty scar on my calf… It has happened many times. It's just a mini-mini tear probably. Not really enough to call a tear. Give it two days and it'll be back to the previous state of normal…"

"Jack…"

"Trust me…" he drawled, "I know this stuff…"

Michelle let out a heavy sigh, then she shook her head. "Okay, we wait until tomorrow. But then we head over to Phoenix, and you get that leg looked at."

"Not if it's all better tomorrow?"

"I'll decide tomorrow…" Michelle sighed, "And you wake me if it gets worse, OKAY?"

"-Okay…" Jack agreed, somewhat hesitantly.

 **Okay, had to add some worried Michelle into the mix. And then I'll decide if I want to play with this seed in the next chapter… *Shrugs***


	71. Chapter 71

**Okay… Here we go again…**

"There's a bit of swelling, but there's nothing to worry about…" Dr. John Andrews informed, as he patted Jack on the back.

"See… Told ya…" Jack winked at Michelle who had taken place in the corner of the office. "I'm all good."

John nodded, "Except for the injury itself of course…"

"Yeah…" Jack frowned, "Except for that. That sucks…"

"So everything's as it should be? You know… Considering…"

"Yeah…" John nodded, then he turned to speak directly to Jack, "But it is important that you keep that leg still, and preferably elevated. It could shorten your recovery a bit."

Jack nodded, "Haven't really had the need to move around all that much yet… And I think Michelle can confirm that I've been a good boy and kept it up almost all of the time…"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, that's true…"

"Good." The doctor nodded, "Continue with that, and if anything changes, contact me…"

"Will do Doc…" Jack winked.

"Well, we better get a new cast on that leg of yours, ain't no use in letting you hobble off without one…"

Jack nodded, "You're probably right…"

"I've got at least five previous cases with you as the patient that tells me so…" Andrews chuckled, "After a while you learn your patients M.O.… I might have sent Mac home without a cast, you… NO."

Michelle chuckled as Jack blushed.

 **Okay, that was a lot of short chapters in a row.  
I better break that cycle soon… Maybe with the next chapter. Maybe the one after that…**


	72. Chapter 72

**Soo… Hope you're having a nice day!**

 **Okay, just in case it isn't clear enough, I've jumped a bit ahead, again. (About a month…)**

It was getting easier, he had had the cast for a few weeks now.

Getting around was easier, and he didn't need to rely on the pain meds as much anymore. Actually he had managed a full day without the pills yesterday.

He hobbled towards the kitchen where Michelle was already making breakfast.

"Hey Darlin'…" he whispered as he made his way over to Michelle and placed a kiss on her neck. "How are you feelin'?"

She turned around, slipped her hands around his waist and gently tugged him towards her. Her baby bump pressed against him. They both smiled.

"Great." she grinned, looking down at her growing belly. "And you?"

Jack shrugged, "I feel fine… A little hungry, that's all…"

She smiled. "Well, that's good, cause I've got some pancakes waiting for you…"

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Need any help?"

She chuckled and shook her head, "Only with eating them… You know you shouldn't be standing around so much yet…"

Jack shrugged, "It honestly doesn't hurt so much anymore… And I'll soon have the cast removed…"

Michelle smirked, "Yeah, I know… I'm your nurse, remember?"

"Mhm…" he nodded, "Best nurse ever…"

Michelle smiled and stood up on her tip toes, that way she could reach his lips. "Well, you know I'm a strict nurse…"

Jack chuckled, "Since when?"

She shrugged, "Well, sit down. You know Andrews still wants you to keep that leg up… That doesn't mean standing around in the kitchen…"

"Okay ma'am…" Jack winked and hopped over to the table under the window. He sat down on the chair to the left of the table and lifted his leg up on the spare chair in front of the table. He had his back to the wall and was studying Michelle where she prepared the breakfast.

"14 weeks now, is that right?"

She nodded and turned back around to look at Jack.

"That's right," Michelle placed her hands against her bump. It was pretty obvious now, but she was far from big.

"And the little one is treating you nice?"

She nodded and rubbed her belly, "Yeah, he or she is acting like a tiny angel…"

"Do you feel it?"

She shrugged, "I don't know… Maybe a little flutter every now and then. Nothing I can point out really…"

Jack nodded, "You look amazing, by the way…"

A smile lit up her face, then he turned back around and placed the last two pancaked on a plate. Then she carried the plates over to the table.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… Any plans for today?" Jack asked, setting down his glass of milk.

She shook her head.

"Well, I was thinking, that maybe…" he trailed off a bit, "You want to go to the movies?"

She shrugged, "Sure, that could be fun…"

He smiled, "Good… So what do you want to watch, action, romance or comedy?"

She tilted her head side to side, "Romance, maybe?"

Jack nodded with a smile, "Okay, then we go see a romantic movie…"

Michelle grinned.

Jack was just about to say something more when his phone started buzzing, he looked at the screen and frowned with confusion.

"Who is it?"

"Coop…" Jack answered looking up at her and delivered the unspoken line, ' _I've got to take this_ '.

She nodded and he answered the call.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey man…" Cooper's voice came over the phone. There wasn't really any clues to what kind of call this would end up being in the man's voice. Sometimes Jack would know exactly what the call was about the second the tall Californian spoke the first words. This wasn't one of those times.

"Hey… How are you doing?" No need to beat around the bush.

"Good. Good man…" Cooper answered, and Jack could detect a smile in the man's voice. That calmed him. "I'm doing okay, and you?"

"Not too bad…" Jack shrugged.

"Dude, are you in LA this week? Or are you somewhere else in this world, fighting off evil bastards?"

Jack chuckled, "Nah, I'm in LA…"

"Crazy busy with work, or…?"

Jack realized where the conversation was heading. It wasn't one of those calls where one or both of the men would end up desperately wiping tears away from their eyes or fighting to keep their voices from breaking. This was just a friendly call, rare but welcomed.

"No… I'm taking a break…" Jack avoided the un-pleasantries of the full truth.

The other end of the line was silent for a little while, before Coop resumed speaking.

"Hey… Can…" he stuttered a little bit, for once having trouble finding the words he needed, or the way to put it. "Would it be okay if I dropped by? Either today, or tomorrow? Or some other day this week?"

"Sure. You're in Cali?"

"Yeah…" Cooper answered, "I'm house-sitting for my parents. They're visiting family back in Norway. And I'm starting to get restless…"

"Restless, huh? Jack chuckled, "Never good when a Lea boy gets restless. Things get wrecked when that happens…"

Cooper chuckled, "Yeah, that's part of the problem…"

"Huh?"

"I'm not really in a position to blow off some steam…"

"Why not?"

"Well… I'm the only one from the squad who's home in the US right now…"

"Wait what?"

"Broke my elbow, so I'm not much good for anything right now…"

"Shit, how'd it happen?"

"Dove for cover, landed funny. Kinda had an extra elbow thing going on for the remainder of that mission…"

"Ouch…" Jack winced in sympathy, causing Michelle to look up worriedly. He pointed to his phone and she relaxed. "How are you feeling now?"

"Oh, I'm good…" Cooper brushed it off, "Just bored out of my damn mind… That's all…"

Jack chuckled, "Well, Michelle and I have a movie date tonight, but you're free to drop by tomorrow… Or any other day…"

"If it's Cooper, we could postpone the date… Take it another day…" Michelle offered. Jack shook his head.

"I'll swing by tomorrow then…" Cooped agreed, "What time?"

Jack shrugged, "We're up rather early, but if you drop by around 10a.m. or later, it's pretty guaranteed that I'll have turned human again. Safer that way…"

"Coffee zombie?"

"Yeah…" Jack chuckled, "You know how it is…"

The blond laughed, "Yeah, you, Box and Duncan… Three dudes one really don't want to agitate before the second or third cup of Joe… Or breakfast in general…"

"Hey, I'm not that bad…" Jack chuckled.

"No… You just verbally tore a lieutenant's head off one morning…" Cooper chuckled, "I don't remember the insults, but I do remember it was pretty epic…"

"He had it coming, he almost got all of us killed because of a mistake he made…"

"Yeah, well… Doesn't make the verbal abuse we got to witness any less hilarious…" Cooper noted.

"We were all tired and hungry, and some of you were hurt…" Jack sighed, "He gave away our location…"

Cooper chuckled and changed the subject again, "I don't think I'll make it down there before 10a.m. anyway… It's an 11 hour drive… And I don't really want to check into a motel for more than one night…"

"Yeah… Right, forgot that…" Jack frowned, "Hang on a sec…"

He lifted his phone away from his ear and looked at Michelle, he held a finger against the microphone to muffle the sound. "Hey, would you mind if I asked him to stay as a guest for a few days?"

She shook her head, "No, I guess that could be fun…"

Jack grinned as he put his phone back to his ear. "I've got an offer, you could just stay with us while you're here…"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" Jack smiled, "I think we get home around midnight tonight, so you see for yourself if you want to come down here today or tomorrow…"

"Thanks man…" Cooper said, "And say hi to Michelle from me…"

 **Okay… Figure this chapter is long enough by now…  
Over to the next one.**


	73. Chapter 73

**Okay… I'm not gonna write a movie date scene… No…  
Or at least it's not gonna get its own chapter. (The date might drop in somewhere in this one, but I don't know… We'll see…)**

Cooper walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He grabbed the butter, placed it on the kitchen table, then he grabbed a jar of jam and placed it next to the butter.

He went over to the breadbox, got the bread and placed it on the cutting board. Lifted the breadknife out of the box and started to cut the bread into slices.

The handicap of having his dominant arm in a cylinder cast was obvious as the slices he cut were uneven and slanting. He placed the knife back in the box. There weren't any of the bread left.

He took the lid off the butter in one easy move, then he sat down and trapped the jar of jam between his knees and used his right to unscrew the lid. He knew his left arm wouldn't be up for twisting the lid of a jar, it wouldn't even be up for holding the jar while his right hand did the task.

He spread butter over the bread, then he spread strawberry jam over that. He then placed the butter and then the jam back into the fridge and closed it.

He then sat down again and started eating his breakfast.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He looked down at his arm, the left one. He flexed and extended his wrist and fingers, thankfully the cast ended a finger width or so above his wrist. It allowed him to move his hand freely, something he was grateful for.

His arm wasn't held in a 90 degree angle like long arm casts usually are. It was more like 45 degrees, an angle which left his hand right by his left pocket when he was standing. Relaxed, but not useful in any way.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip of the dark liquid. Placed it back on the table and picked up the next slice of bread.

"Man… It's gonna be a long drive…" he muttered to himself.

A couple minutes later, he was finished with his breakfast. He took the butter knife, the plate and his coffee cup over to the sink, one item at the time. He rinsed it off and put it in the dishwasher for later.

After the kitchen was tidy again, he went up the stairs to his old bedroom. He dumped a few of his clothes into a duffle bag and zipped it up.

20 minutes later he was on his way to LA.

 **Sorry guys, can't hide my fictional crush for Cooper… Thanks for creating him Gib. (Anybody find a way of crawling into the fanfic universe on a permanent basis, give me shout. I would definitely change this existence with the fanfic one…)**


	74. Chapter 74

**Awww… Who am I kidding…  
Of course I'm gonna write about the date too! Of course I am… *Sigh***

Michelle melted as Jack put his arm around her. They were standing in line at the movies, he had gathered his crutches to his right, and had his left arm around her shoulders. It made her feel super protected, she loved this feeling.

The line moved on, and he let go of her in favor of being able to place his crutches back one on each side.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They managed to get seats at the first row of the second inclined plane, where there was a lot of leg-room. They also managed to get an extra chair for Jack to prop his leg up on. And already before the commercials were done and the movie had started, Jack had his arm around Michelle again and she had her right hand resting against his left thigh.

"Hey…" he whispered, stroking his thumb up and down against the outside of her arm, "I love ya…"

She blushed in the darkness, looking up at him without being able to see the details of his face.

"I love you too…" she whispered back, stretching to place a kiss on his lips. Her hand brushing against the inside of his good thigh.

"Babe… That's not fair…" he whispered, letting out a small, exasperated sigh.

"Why?"

"You're turning me on…" he swallowed, "I think we both know that I'm in no condition for _that_ stuff…"

She chuckled, "Sorry…"

Jack chuckled too, "Seriously, I can barely wait for this damn leg to get back to normal…"

"I bet…" Michelle smiled, then leaned forward in order to take a look behind them. There was a gap of five rows to the next person.

"What?"

"Just felt like checking if we had some poor soul listening in on our little conversation…"

Jack cast a glance over his left shoulder, then he chuckled. "Well, if we had, they ran away…"

Michelle let out a small laugh and buried her face in his shoulder, before he placed his arm around her again. She let her hand rest against his uninjured leg again, grinning a bit more than she probably should when he let out a small gasp of contentment.

Then the movie started.

 **Not a long chapter I know. SORRY!**


	75. Chapter 75

**Okay… So…  
We all know it's been leading up to this. Cooper back with Jack and Michelle… Let's see what fun I can make out of that…**

He drove with his arm propped up in the car window. He had the fingers of his left hand rested gently against the top of his steering wheel, while his right hand did all the work.

He followed the 101 until the sign for I-580 came up right before San Francisco. He contemplated swinging by to see the stadium when he passed Oakland, but figured he could save that for another time. The 580 lead him to I-5, which took him all the way down to Los Angeles.

He had visited Jack before, but finding the address in the dark was a little more difficult than he thought to remember, so he stopped and plotted the address into Google Maps. From there on it was smooth sailing again.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle opened the door and stood face to chest with Cooper. "Whoa… Forgot how tall you were…"

The tall blond laughed and bent slightly at his knees to get a little bit closer to her height. "Hey there sister…"

He wrapped her in a hug, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. The sleeves of Jack's hoodie covered her hands.

"Good to see you…" she grinned.

"You too…" he smiled, then he laughed, "You look like you're about to drown in that sweater…"

She laughed too. She knew exactly how oversized Jack's hoodie was for her.

Then he stepped back to have her at arms length, "Where's Jack? Has he gone to bed already?"

She shook her head, "No, he's in the living room… He's been waiting for you…"

She could see a thought process going on behind his green eyes. Confusion, a question, a thesis, a test of the thesis and a conclusion.

"How is he? He injured or something?"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, he got shot a while back. He's still in a good bit of pain, and his leg is in a big cast…"

"Shit… He didn't mention that to me…"

"He hasn't told his MOM yet…" Michelle rolled her eyes, "His brother got to know a simplified and watered down cover story on their birthday… And that was like one month after it happened…"

Cooper nodded, "Same old Jack then…"

Michelle nodded, "And how 'bout you? What's that cast right there for?"

Cooper looked down at his left arm, "Well, I was supposed to dive for cover… Turned out the ground wasn't as flat as I thought, landed three feet below where I had expected, one of the bones near my elbow snapped. Looked like I had a second elbow right below the original one…"

Michelle frowned, "And how are you feeling now?"

"Oh, better…" Cooper shrugged, "Pretty useless, but better…"

"Come on in…" Michelle waved, "I bet Jack's about ready to climb off the couch to meet you again… And I think he's been more active than he probably should today…"

Cooper smirked and picked up his duffle bag. Then he followed Michelle into the house, he dropped his bag just beside the door of the guestroom he had stayed in before as he made his way to the living room.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She was right, Jack was in the process of getting himself off the couch in an attempt to go meet the tall guest.

"Sit-sit…" the tall blond chuckled as he stepped into the living room, "No need to get up for me…"

"It's no big deal, really…" Jack shrugged as he managed to get upright, then he bent down and used the coffee table and the edge of the sofa for support as he hopped a little closer to Cooper, "Man, it's good to see ya…"

"And you're lying… Michelle already told me what's up…" Cooper chuckled, offering a slight smile before he moved in to bro-hug Jack. "Shot, huh?"

Jack looked down at his own cast and nodded, "Yep…"

"I'm guessing it hit bone…"

"Confirmed…"

"Damn boss…" Cooper sighed, "How the heck did you let that happen?"

"Well…" Jack shrugged, he REALLY didn't want to tell the truth, or the full truth, to Cooper. Jack knew where his own head had been at the time, and he knew that it would pain Cooper to hear that. If he ever told him. He settled for a simplified version of the truth, one where all the chaos inside his head was excluded. "I was outnumbered and low on ammo… And Lady Luck didn't deal me any winning cards either…"

"So you got shot…"

"I got shot… Yes."

"But you managed to get away…"

"Mac came swooping in like a knight in leather armor…" Jack chuckled, "He knocked out the last mercenary, fixed a tourniquet and helped me get away from there…"

"Where were you hit?"

"Oh… Right about here…" Jack answered, tapping his index finger on the cast above the scar of the entrance wound.

"Bet it bled a lot…" Cooper frowned.

Michelle nodded, "He looked like someone had dusted him with chalk when I made it over to the hospital. And I guess they had given him a lot of blood by then…"

"Yeah, it bled a fair share…" Jack nodded, "But hey… It's gettin' better!"

Both Cooper and Michelle nodded.

"So…" Jack drawled, "Are you like extremely tired from the drive, or do you want to sit up for a while? We have coffee or two… Think we've got a full pot of coffee sitting in the kitchen."

"Well, I'm tired… But I would enjoy a cup of coffee…"

Michelle smiled and went into the kitchen to bring out two cups and the pot of coffee.

"Aren't you gonna have coffee with us?" Jack looked up at Michelle, as she set the stuff down. He noticed there were only two cups.

She shook her head with a yawn, "No, I'd love to… But I'm so damned tired…"

Jack nodded.

"I'll catch up with the two of you tomorrow…" she concluded, "You two have fun…"

Cooper nodded.

"See you tomorrow…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It wasn't exactly the truth. She could have stayed with them for an hour or so. She wasn't that tired. But she figured the two of them could use some time alone.

She was sure they both had to talk out some of the more intense parts of their careers. And she knew she didn't need to hear about the worst of the worst if that was tonight's theme.  
Not with the way she was dreaming for the time being. (She blamed the hormones…)

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They had emptied half a pot of coffee talking about the missions they had been on since they last met. Confidentiality wasn't really something they cared too much about when it was just the two of them. It was a lot cheaper, and probably a lot safer, than going to an actual therapist.

After focusing on his cup for about a minute when they fell silent for the tenth time or so, Cooper looked up, his eyes meeting Jack's.

"So…" he started, a casual smirk drawing on his lips. "I've just gotta ask one question…"

"About what?" Jack took another sip of his coffee as he studied the blond.

"Does she have a bun in the oven? –Michelle…"

Jack almost choked on the coffee he _tried_ to swallow. "How'd you guess?"

"So she is pregnant?"

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "But how did you guess? You couldn't have seen her belly. She's wearing my hoodie…"

Coop shrugged.

"She just looked that way…" The way Cooper said it sounded more like a question than an explanation.

Jack chuckled, "Seriously, you've got to have a better explanation than that…"

"I don't know man…" Cooper ran a hand through his hair, it was shorter now than the last time Jack had seen him. -Probably cause it was easier with the broken arm. Or because haircuts and shaving was higher up on the to-do list when he was back home. "Seriously, I'm not gonna say she looked glow-y… But… She looked different, I don't know exactly what or how. Okay?"

Jack was sitting in the corner of the couch, laughing.

"Hey…" Cooper fixed Jack with his eyes, "Congratulations man…"

"Thanks…" Jack beamed.

"How far along is she?"

"She's due near the beginning of September. She's 14 weeks along." Jack answered with pride in his voice.

"So, like three and a half months then?" Cooper re-calculated quickly, "And you're about as excited as can be?"

"Does it show?"

Cooper let out a short laugh, "Yeah, having it on a flashing neon sign by your front door would have been more subtle…"

Jack laughed.

"So… I better have my phone with me near the end of August then?" Cooper added, "Cause you'll probably send out a message as soon as she pops…"

"You know I will…" Jack nodded, "And you? Found anyone lately?"

"Where?" Cooper laughed, "I'm stuck in the desert most of the time. And believe it or not, Dunc really isn't my type…"

"Not enough boobs?"

"Not enough boobs…" Cooper chuckled, "And I don't think I'm that into beards or stubbles either…"

"Fair…" Jack chuckled, "He snores like a freight train too…"

"That he does…" Cooper nodded, "In other words… Nope I'm still single."

"You know if any of the others have found someone?"

Cooper shook his head, "Not that I know of…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, do you think it would be okay for me to congratulate her on the pregnancy tomorrow?" Cooper rubbed his palm against his forehead, "Or would that be weird? Have you announced it or are you keeping it a secret?"

"We have… To some…" Jack shrugged, "Just go ahead and do it, I think she has figured out that I probably wouldn't keep my mouth shut about this to you for long…"

"Oh yeah?"

Jack nodded, "She'll just figure I told you…"

Cooper nodded.

 **So at least this one had some length… The next one seems to be a 'long' one too…**


	76. Chapter 76

**Okay… Let's hope you enjoy this too!**

Michelle woke up to her alarm clock the next morning. She shut it off and turned around to find the other side of the bed empty.

"You didn't make it back to bed last night…" she chuckled lightly, as she stretched.

She rolled out of bed and walked over to the closet. She picked a pair of jeans, a tank top and a poncho top to cover her belly.

She put on her jeans first, and shook her head when she tested if it would actually button and still be comfortable. Nope. She would have to hack it with a hair-tie unless she wanted to go around and get annoyed by the pressure of her jeans.

Then she threw on her tank and her poncho, before looking at herself in the mirror.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She found the two soldiers just where she expected to find them.  
Asleep on the couch.

Jack was on the long end of the couch. He had his head near the corner, and his legs on top of a couple of extra cushions towards the arm rest.

Cooper, who was noticeably taller than Jack, had the short end of the couch. He also laid with his head towards the corner. He had his legs dangling over the armrest and his casts covered arm propped up on a pillow which was lodged between his upper body and the back of the couch.

She smiled at the sight. They were cute like this, and she recognized a photo-worthy moment when she saw one.

She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and snapped a couple of pictures. This would definitely go in some album when she got around to it.

After enjoying the sight for a few more seconds, she retreated to the kitchen. She figured she could brew some coffee and have breakfast ready before waking up the two men.

She sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and waited while the coffee prepared. She deserved a couple of moment for herself, just enjoying the solitude.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She had just finished making the breakfast when she heard movement from the living room. It didn't take her long to figure out it had to be Jack, the sound of crutches was a dead giveaway.

She stepped over to the doorway and waited for him to make it over to the hall.

He stopped when he saw her, "Good mornin'."

"Good morning…" she smiled back and closed the gap between them to kiss him. "You fell asleep on the couch…?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, sorry…"

"Nothing to apologize for…" Michelle winked, "Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"Not the worst I've had…" he shrugged, "Dreamt a little, that's all…"

Michelle nodded and stretched up to kiss him again. "You sure?"

"Yeah… Yeah I'm sure…" Jack nodded as he wrapped one arm behind her back, tugging her closer.

She let her head rest against his chest, she closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. "Did the two of you get caught up on whatever has happened since you met each other last?"

She could feel him nodding above her, "Mostly…"

"Good…" she smiled and buried her face in his chest. "You want to wake him up soon? Breakfast is ready…"

"Oh, just give him a few minutes he'll come around…" Jack chuckled, "If not, we'll set some coffee in front of him…"

"Will that work?"

"Might…" Jack chuckled as he did a little hop to ensure he still had his balance. He wasn't putting any weight on his crutches now that he was standing with an arm wrapped around Michelle. The crutches were trapped by his upper arms by his sides.

He leaned down and kissed her once more. "Hey, I've gotta drain of some of that coffee we had tonight…"

"Okay…" She let go of him and he took hold of his crutches again.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

At first he didn't realize where he was. He spent a second or two being confused as heck, before it dawned on him. He was at Jack's place. And he had fallen asleep on the couch.

In his haze he reached for the back of the couch, a split second later he realized it had been a bad move. He let his arm drop back to where it had rested between his upper body and the couch. He took a deep breath before he placed his feet on the ground and used his abs to sit up. At least his arm didn't protest that.

He ran a hand down his face and blinked a few times to clear is vision. Then he pushed to his feet.

He stretched, then he headed for the toilet.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack grinned as he saw the tall Delta operator shuffled into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"You do know it's allowed to actually be awake before you start walking around in the morning?" Jack teased, earning himself a sour look from the Delta. "Sleep well?"

Coop shrugged non-committedly, "Slept…"

"You think a little coffee would help with making this morning a little less painful?" Michelle asked as she poured some hot, dark liquid into the cup in front of the free chair.

Cooper attempted a smile before he nodded, "It's a good start…"

He sat down on the free chair and looked down at the food in front of him. "Is that oatmeal?"

"Yeah…" Michelle nodded, "And it's smoothie in the glass…"

"Nice!" Coop grinned.

"I asked Jack what kind of breakfast you liked yesterday when I knew you were coming. He just said that you liked everything… So when I saw your arm I figured I could aim for something you only needed one hand to eat…"

"Well, Jack's right… There's not much I don't like…" Cooper grinned, "And that was very kind of you…"

"No problem, I kinda wanted oatmeal too…" she smiled. "Dig in…"

"Well, it's real nice of you anyway…" Cooper grinned as he picked up the cinnamon from the center of the table, then he added some sugar on top, choosing the same condiments as Jack. Michelle had topped hers with berries and raisins.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They were sitting around the table after they had finished breakfast. None of them made a move to get up, so they just stayed there.

Cooper had been plotting out exactly how he was gonna bring up the subject for the last 15 minutes, but he still hadn't found the fail-safe plan he would like to have. He didn't want to insult her in any way.

He could say that Jack had told him, that was one possibility. Or he could bring up the subject like 'hey… have you thought about kids?'. But no… Nope.

OR he could…

"You know what?" he sat back, looking at Michelle, "That oatmeal was great!"

She chuckled, "Thanks… But it's really hard to fail at making oatmeal…"

"Well, anyway… Your future kids are gonna be lucky to have such a great mom to make them porridge."

"Porridge?"

"Yeah, you know… Baby food…"

And there it was, that guilty blush that gave the secret away. If he hadn't known already it would have been fair to guess now.

"Wait…" he smirked, "You're not carrying a secret around already? Are you?"

She blushed even more. Cooper looked over at Jack and saw one of the most satisfied grins he had ever seen the man make. Then he put his focus back on Michelle.

"Yeah…" she giggled innocently.

"You are?" he grinned, "So you're adding to the family tree?"

She nodded.

"Congratulations! Both of you!" he grinned, winking at Jack. "That kid is going to have the best parents…"

"Thank you…" Michelle and Jack answered in chorus.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It didn't take long after Cooper had called her on the 'secret' before she dropped the poncho. There was no need to hide her belly if he already knew.

It felt really good to walk around in just a tank top and jeans, showing off her new figure. Jack still claimed that she wasn't big yet, but she wasn't quite sure whether she should believe him or not. She sure felt pretty big.

 **Okay soo… 1.3k words in this chapter. That's okay I guess.**

 **-And thanks for all the comments, favs and followings so far! You guys are making me smile!**


	77. Chapter 77

**What to do… What to do…? Hm…**

 _'Hey Mac! Could you swing  
by later?'_

 _X_

 _'Yeah, sure… Is 4pm OK?'_

 _X_

 _'Yeah. Perfect!'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac didn't really offer it that much thought. Jack was still injured, and he was willing to bet the older man was just as bored as he usually ended up being during long recoveries.

Mac went back to looking over the floor plan for a building they were planning to enter undercover sometime later this week. He was pretty sure he had the entire plan burnt into his brain by now, but he also wanted to make sure there was no way his memory could possibly fail him during the brief mission they had planned. It was only 48 hours all in all, but being prepared was key. Even though he used the resources around him, he always wanted to know as much as possible about where he was going and what he might meet there.

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

Mac didn't bother knocking when he got to Jack's place. He just walked straight in.

"That must be Mac…" he heard Jack's voice announce from the living room, which was weird. He figured Michelle would also have come to that conclusion on her own, leaving no need for it to be said aloud. No one answered him though.

Mac's curiosity drove him towards the living room. There was obviously some guest there, but why would Jack invite him if they already had a guest, or guests.

Just as he stepped past the doorsill to the living room, he heard some familiar words.

"Hey there baby brother…"

Mac almost couldn't believe his eyes or ears.

The tall blond stood up and moved around the table.

"COOP?" Mac almost shouted as he quickly stepped over and buddy-hugged Cooper.

"Hey… Easy!" Cooper winced, gently pulling his cast covered arm away from Mac. "That one still hurts a bit…"

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Mac held his hands up in front of him, clearly worried he had caused the older man serious pain.

"Oh, don't worry about it…" Cooper placed his right hand on Mac's shoulder giving it a firm squeeze, "I'm just being a little bit of a wuss… Gimme another hug!"

Mac felt tears sting his eyes as Cooper's massive palm patted against his back three times, the standard bro-hug.

"Man, it's been forever!" Mac bit out, fighting hard not to cry.

Cooper nodded.

Mac stepped back and looked the taller guy up and down. "How have you been?"

"Oh, good…" Cooper nodded, "Been busy overseas…"

Mac nodded, "And Dunc?"

"Oh, he's still there… Kickin' ass and takin' names…"

"You're home because of the arm?"

"Yeah…" Cooper nodded.

"What happened?"

"Oh… Nothing really… I landed wrong." Cooper glared down at his arm, "Gonna have to take it easy for a few weeks…"

Mac nodded, "But other than that you're good?"

Cooper nodded.

"How is it being home?"

"Boring…" Coop shrugged, "I'm home, but I can't skate and I can't surf, which is even worse. Most of my buddies back home are out cold water surfing right about now. I get snap-stories and pictures of it all the time, and I'm stuck with this…" he gestured to the cast.

"Yeah, guess that sucks…" Mac nodded, he knew how much the tall man loved anything that was the combination of a board and speed. Surfing, skateboarding, even snowboarding when the opportunity came around. He had even seen him try to attempt a stunt involving lunch trays and tabletops, needless to say that didn't work out.

"Surfing? Now? Up there?" Jack furrowed his brows, "Isn't that a little cold?"

"A good 5mm wetsuit helps with that… And a bonfire ready on the beach." Cooper shrugged before turning back to Mac. "And you? How are you doing?"

"Oh, good…" Mac smiled.

"How are you holding up without boss being your sniper?"

Mac chuckled, "Actually Bozer, one of my friends, have gone through the necessary training. He's Jack's stand-in for the time being… He's still learning though…"

Over in the couch Jack laughed, "His fault for asking me to teach him how to shoot. He had to know it would end up like this someday…"

Cooper laughed looking over at the older soldier, "Teaching young ones to be badass superspies now are we?"

"He's Mac's age…" Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, and baby brother is still a…" Coop looked from Jack and over to Mac looking the young agent up and down, then he offered a shrug, "No offense, but you're still a baby…"

"None taken, Coop," Mac smirked. He secretly liked being referred to as 'baby brother' and all the other nicknames the giant in front of him had managed to come up with throughout the years. Not that he would ever admit to it.

"Yeah, but you've got to remember that they are older than you were when you joined the Delta Force…" Jack advocated.

Cooper was left standing there, in the middle of the room, looking like he was rethinking his entire existence.

"Damn… -You're right…"

Mac couldn't help but chuckle.

 **Okay this chapter didn't get any longer. Sorry. I'll make up for it my more chapters later, I guess.**


	78. Chapter 78

**Hey, how are your day going? I hope you're doing great!  
If not, I hope your day gets better!**

The laughter that rolled out from the living room when she returned home warmed her heart. She loved knowing that Jack was happy, it made her happy.

She found Jack, Mac and Cooper occupying the couch and one of the chairs.

"Having a good time guys?"

"Yeah…" Mac answered.

"You guys hungry?"

The three guys looked between each other, giving subtle hints whether they were or weren't.

"Actually, no…" Jack announced, "Why don't you come sit down with us?"

"Just gotta set the groceries away and I will…" Michelle winked at him.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She sat down next to Jack, and she didn't have to wait for long until he had one arm wrapped around her. She felt so incredibly safe in his arms, she loved it.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered, while Mac and Cooper was busy remembering an old story.

"I'm good…" she smiled, "Ran into one of the neighbors at the store though…"

"Okay, who?"

"Kristy. She asked if we wanted to come over for dinner this Wednesday night."

Jack nodded, "So… Are we going or not?"

"No…" she shook her head, "I told her we had one of your old buddies over, and that he was staying for a few days. So we got invited over next Wednesday instead. I said we probably were free then, but I would have to get back to her with the final answer. She knows you're not very mobile at the moment… So… What do you think?"

"Sounds like fun," Jack nodded.

"And you… How are you doing?"

"Good…" Jack whispered back.

"Good to have Coop over? Someone other than Mac to talk with?" she whispered into his ear.

He nodded, "Yeah, it is… But I've got you too you know…"

"Yeah, but you sugarcoat everything when you tell me about them. And my guess is that you protect Mac in the same way…" she disguised the fact that she was whispering in his ear as a hug, but it didn't really matter. The two others were too caught up in some practical joke someone had pulled back in 2008 or -09. "And you don't do that with Coop. I know it…"

Jack turned his head and looked straight at her, his eyes locked on hers. A small smile pushing on his eyes, "You've figured out that 'secret'?"

"I wouldn't really call it a secret…" Michelle chuckled.

Jack shrugged, "Okay, maybe not…"

"But yeah… You're busted…"

Jack just smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was closing in on dinnertime, but they were having such a great time together that Michelle hadn't really thought about what to make yet, probably something quick and simple. She didn't get to finish her thoughts before Mac called her name in an attempt to catch her attention.

"Yeah?" she looked up at him.

"I was just wondering if you know whether it's a boy or a girl…"

She shook her head, "No, they weren't able to tell on the last scan… And we haven't really decided if we want to know either…"

Mac nodded knowingly, "Yeah, I guess it's fun with a little surprise too…"

Jack nodded.

"But hey, guys…" Cooper grinned, "Just think about it… Jack with a baby girl… Just imagine that!"

Mac instantly started laughing, while Jack and Michelle looked slightly confused.

"What?"

"No-no… Just imagine it!" Cooper snickered.

"Why?" Jack furrowed his brows as Michelle also started giggling.

"He'd be the most overprotective father ever…" Mac chuckled, "The girl wouldn't be allowed to start dating before she was like, 38…"

"40…" Cooper corrected, wiping moisture from his eyes, he was already laughing hard enough to start crying. "And even then he would reenact that country song scene. You know… Sittin' right here cleaning this gun…"

Michelle tried to catch her breath before she looked over at Coop, "The one by Rodney Atkins?"

"Sure…" Cooper shrugged, "If he's a country artist…"

Michelle nodded, "And it's;  
 _Hey, y'all, run along and have some fun  
I'll see you when you get back  
Bet I'll be up all night  
Still cleanin' this gun_…"

"The girl knows her country lyrics that's for sure…" Jack smiled as he shook his head, "But seriously guys, I'm not like that…"

"Hah, yeah you are!" Cooper continued laughing.

"No… I'm not…" Jack shook his head.

"Trust me… You are…" Mac nodded.

Jack didn't answer, just folded his arms over his chest.

"And if it's a boy, he'll probably get payback for everything he's ever done!" Cooper looked over at Mac, who thought about it for a second or two before he nodded in agreement.

"I can see that happening…" Mac nodded and looked at Jack, "One of your sisters told a lot of stories I hadn't heard before last time I tagged along to Texas…"

Jack grimaced, "Okay, that one's probably true…"

"Better just get ready to holler out 'He's mine' if it's a boy…" Michelle winked.

Jack pulled her in for a hug, "Oh, I'll state that claim every chance I get…"

"I know you will…" Michelle smiled.

"But what if we stray away from the stereotypes for a bit?" Mac grinned, "We all know you Jack, and you're protective of everything you hold close to your heart…"

Cooper nodded, "That's true… You've even been overprotective to me at times. And honestly, I think I can handle myself…"

Jack chuckled, "Okay, what are you getting at Mac?"

"I just imagine you being exactly as protective of the kid if it is a boy as if it is a girl. Not exactly when it comes to dating, necessarily, but you'll damn near have a heart attack when the kid starts climbing stairs… Or when he or she learns how to walk!"

"Nah…"

"Yeah…" Michelle looked directly at Jack, "You probably will… And even worse when the kid figures out how to climb trees… Or when he or she starts driving."

"OR!" Cooper sat forward, holding his right hand up like he was about to make a very important point, "What if… It's a girl… BUT… She's a true copy of Jack, except for the gender…"

"Like Jack's attitude in an innocent looking girl?" Mac looked over at Cooper, who nodded.

"Wouldn't that be something?" he laughed, "Like, Jack will still be a nervous wreck. And she WILL have him wrapped around her little finger, but if anyone even thinks about treating her less than perfect, she'll be able to take care of business herself!"

"Of course she's gonna know how to take care of herself… If it is a girl…" Jack shrugged, "But I'll be there for backup…"

"So you agree?"

Jack shrugged, "Maybe…"

"There's no maybe…" Mac crossed his arms, "Trust me…"

Cooper nodded, "Knowing how you were as a boss, there's no way you'll be any less protective about your own kid…"

Jack chuckled and shook his head in defeat, "Okay…"

"So, you have any hopes about what it'll be?" Mac looked at both Jack and Michelle.

Jack shrugged, Michelle looked down at her belly.

"I kinda hope it's a boy…" Michelle said after a few second, "But I'll be equally as happy if it's a girl…"

"Okay then…" Jack ran a hand through his hair, "Just to make it interesting, I'm gonna hope for a girl then… But just like you, I'd be just as happy for a boy…"

"Aww, ain't they cute…" Cooper laughed and tapped Mac on his upper arm. Mac nodded.

 **So… Yeah… Nothing exciting in this chapter, I know… I know…**


	79. Chapter 79

**So, when I first wrote this, it turned DAAAARRRK! I couldn't give it to you in** ** _that_** **condition, so I went back and tried to ease up on the worst parts. Just to let myself feel a bit better.  
No one needs to see that corner of these character's minds… Nope.**

A couple of days later Jack and Cooper were sitting around the table in the living room, drinking coffee. It was the last full day Cooper planned on staying, and they had all decided on staying at home for a relaxing evening when Michelle got home from work.

It was one of the first days she had been back to the Phoenix Foundation to work, she had been busy taking care of Jack the last weeks. But they knew the rest of the team was coming back from a mission today, which generally meant all hands on deck. Even if they hadn't been informed of any injuries.

"So…" Cooper kicked his feet up on the ottoman in front of the chair he sat in, "Looking forward to get back in action?"

Jack nodded and ran his hand over his cast, "Yeah. You know how it is…"

"Yeah…" Cooper nodded and placed his hand over his cast covered elbow, "I'm sure looking forward to getting back out there."

"You kinda get stuck with your own thoughts when you're held up with an injury…" Jack shrugged.

Cooper nodded and looked down at his own arm, "Yeah… And that's no good when you've seen the stuff we have…"

Jack nodded and leaned back, "Your brain can become your own worst enemy sometimes…"

Cooper nodded and subtly went through the exercises the doctor had given him to do with his left hand. Well, most of it was just stretching and curling his fingers, and a little bit of wrist movements.

"We've all been there…" Jack admitted as he looked over at Cooper, who was staring hard down at his arm. "Every single one of us…"

Cooper nodded and looked down at his legs instead. "That's for sure…"

Jack nodded and tucked his good leg closer to him.

"Man, I've just gotta say sorry for forcing myself on you guys…"

"WHAT?" Jack looked over at Cooper, "You're not forcing yourself on us…"

"I kinda did…" Cooper shrugged, "Cause I was fairly certain that you'd let me come by if you were home…"

"That's not the same as forcing yourself on us, you know that… Right?"

Cooper didn't answer.

"Right?"

Still no answer from Coop.

"Hey, you're always welcome here." Jack decided he needed a different approach, "Especially if you get marooned up in Klamath or something."

Cooper let out a short laugh, but it didn't really hold any humor.

"Sucked didn't it?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your folks going to Norway and you being stuck up there, alone."

"Nah… I can handle it…" Cooper folded his hands and started tapping the fingers of his right hand against the back of his left, "It's not that much of a problem anymore…"

' _Well, that's a load of crap…'_ Jack thought as he studied Cooper. He knew the man well enough to know when he was lying about these kind of things. He knew that when Coop couldn't keep his hands still, something was bothering him.

"Okay, maybe it's not _easy_ seeing his house…" Cooper let out a shaky breath, "Actually, that kinda sucks… Especially this week. He would have been 51 two days ago…"

Jack nodded, "And there's no way of not seeing it when you're at your parents' place…"

Cooper nodded and untangled his hands again, before his right hand started clutching and unclutching hard enough to make the small joints crackle. "Yeah, that's right…"

Jack didn't say anything, he just studied the larger Delta operator for half a minute. His guess was that Coop's knuckles wanted to make a dent in something. Yeah, Coop probably needed something to punch sooner or later.

"Man, if I had just 5 more minutes with that guy…" Coop sighed, "First I'd probably hug him hard enough to cause him spinal injury…"

Jack couldn't help himself, there was no way he could avoid laughing at the picture which formed in his head. He could almost feel being in that kind of a hug too, the kind you literally have to tap out of the same way you would in a headlock during practice.

"And then I'd beat the crap outta him." Cooper said dead serious.

Jack didn't know whether it confused him or scared him the most. All in all he didn't look at Coop as a violent guy. Which might sound weird for someone who knew his occupation and had seen him in action. BUT, that was controlled.

The look Coop had in his eyes right now, was not. It was fury, red-hot and emotional. It was like hot, boiling oil, just about to become a burning inferno. It certainly wasn't the same good-natured human puppy he was used to.

"Hey, you good there buddy?"

Coop shook his head. His voice acted like a contrast to the fire in his eyes, as his words came out cold as ice. "No… I'm not…"

"Anger?"

Cooper nodded and let his head drop a bit, "That fucking self centered idiot decided to leave us all… Without even giving us a real hint, not something an average guy would catch up on at least… Not back then!"

Jack knew it would be in his best interest to just keep his mouth shut, so he did.

"He didn't give _us_ a chance to help him. Didn't let us save him…" Cooper placed his feet back on the floor and leaned forward, resting his good elbow on his knees and his forehead in his palm. "Didn't even give us a head's up… And he goes ahead and takes a gunpowder chaser after a shot of whiskey one night. At home, in his own house, which my parents have to pass each and every time they leave theirs."

Cooper shook his head in defeat. "Every time I go home, that's the first thing I see… Charlie's house."

Jack knew that, but it still felt like a dagger had been shoved into his gut. Knowing that Coop had to face that horrible memory every time he returned home.

"And I shouldn't complain, cause I'm only stateside about a month or two out of the year. I have other places to be the other 10-11 months, thing to keep me occupied, keep my mind off that crap…"

Jack dared to nod.

"But my parents have to drive or walk past his house every day. And they knew what happened there. And I'm pretty sure they feel guilty about it too. Cause that's what the people left behind do. They feel guilty, even though there was no way of knowing. And therefore no way to change it."

Jack nodded again.

"And another cruel part is that you sometimes forget. Sometimes I can't remember his voice, or his laughter. And it's like a mental punch in the gut when I realize that I don't remember EVERY LAST THING about one of the people who used to be so important to me. But the worst is when I actually forget, just for a split second. Like, I could be out riding great big waves and I look over and expect to see him right there. With a witty remark or something. Then I REMEMBER and it just hurts so much worse…"

Jack nodded again, he could relate. He had looked over his own shoulder expecting to see the other, tall, well-built Californian so many times during the years. He knew that feeling, but it had to be much worse for Coop who had been Charlie's little brother.

"If I got 5 more minutes…" Cooper sighed, "-But I didn't…"

Jack sighed too, and looked over at Cooper who was still working his right hand relentlessly, "Hey, what do you need most? Punching bag or someone to talk it out with?"

Cooper shrugged, his voice uncharacteristically frail as he shakily gave his answer. "BOTH…?"

Yeah, Jack knew that feeling. Knew the feeling of being so angry he wanted to go ape-shit on something, just punching, hitting, kicking strangling something until it was gone. He had also experienced the other part of it. Knowing enough to understand that the problem needed to be addressed, discussed and dealt with in a grown up manner. He knew it could feel like defeat when you realized that talking was the way to go, but he also knew that all of his guys had been through enough shit to understand what was best for them. And that meant sitting down, and talking. (And possibly grown men crying. A lot.)

"Okay. Let's go down in the basement. I guess the bag still hangs there, think I used it the last time I worked out…"

Cooper held up his left arm, "Won't do me much good…"

"Aw, come on…" Jack winked, "I bet you can beat the crap out of a sand bag with one arm…"

Cooper almost smirked, then he got up, ready to go down to the basement to blow off some steam either way. Jack got himself off the couch and followed behind the tall man.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He only took a few swings at the bag, fifteen tops. Jack watched him deliver two rapid jabs with his right hand, before the larger man tried to raise his left arm and flinched.

"Faen!"

Jack raised his eyebrows at the man in the middle of the floor, "I'm not really sure what you said, but it sounded like a cussword…"

"Yeah, it was…" Coop turned around to face Jack, he was supporting his left elbow with his right hand, his face was contorted because of the pain. "I don't think I should keep on trying to pick a fight with that bag. It just might beat me…" he offered with a goofy smile.

"You sure?"

Coop shrugged, before he abruptly turned around and punched the bag with a forceful straight punch. The sound of the impact between his fist and the bag seemed to resonate through the room.

"There…" Cooper nodded as he turned back around, "All done…"

Jack nodded, "Okay…"

Cooper sat down on the weightlifting bench beside Jack, shoulder to shoulder.

"So…" Jack started, "It was his birthday two days ago…?"

Cooper nodded, his right hand coming up to run through his blond hair.

"Man… Your family must be a bunch of douchebags…" Jack almost chuckled, but shut his mouth quickly when Coop glared daggers at him.

"They're not…" his voice didn't hold all the venom his eyes did, so Jack relaxed a bit.

"They kinda are…" Jack shrugged, "They've gotta know this affects you… And they just leave you while they head over to a different continent."

Cooper shrugged, "They didn't know I was coming home when they ordered the tickets… And they did ask if I was going to be alright back home…"

"And you said yes, because you're a moron…"

Cooper actually chuckled, the menacing look he had in his eyes a few seconds ago had faded. "I guess…"

"Man, you're an idiot…"

"Yeah…" Cooper nodded, "I just…"

Jack waited when Coop trailed off.

"-I just thought I was done with it, thought it was okay… Thought I had it under control…"

"Why?" Jack looked down at the larger man's hands, they were fidgeting with nothing but the air.

"It's been a decade… More than that actually…" Cooper snorted, "It's been eleven and a half years… I just thought…"

"Things like that doesn't heal, kid…" Jack shook his head and placed a hand near Coop's right knee.

"But I thought…" Cooper trailed off and shook his head, "I just thought I'd be tougher by now…"

"Tougher?"

"Yeah…" Cooper nodded, "Thought I'd be able to deal with this by 35… Thought I'd be old enough to just shrug it off somehow."

"Well…" Jack crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm a lot older than you… Like, 15 years… And I can tell you, it's got nothing to do with age…"

Coop let out a shaky breath, "Was afraid you'd say something like that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Jack…"

"Yeah?"

"Why couldn't he just told us?" Coop was on the verge of crying, but he wouldn't have admitted to that.

Jack shrugged, "Guess it's not that easy…"

"Yeah! It is!" Cooper growled, "It's literally just picking up the phone and saying 'Man, I need some help!', or he could have gone over to the house, asked me face to face!"

Jack felt it like a punch in the gut. He knew both sides of that particular coin now. Now…

"Guess he didn't see that option…"

"WHy?" Coop's voice broke, "Wasn't I good enough? Weren't WE good enough?"

Jack no longer heard the grown up 35 year old by his side, all he could hear now was the heartbroken 24 year old kid who had called him up one Tuesday morning in September 2006.  
And he was sure his heart would get crushed to a pulp and bleed out.

"Trust me…" Jack brought his hand up to run it along his jaw, "It wasn't because you weren't good enough…"

"Yeah, it was…"

Jack wasn't sure what was worst, the fact that he didn't really know how to console Cooper, or the conviction in his voice.

"No…"

"My own BROTHER DIDN'T TRUST ME ENOUGH TO ASK ME TO HELP HIM SAVE HIS LIFE! IT IS MY FAULT!"

Jack had been through torture more comfortable than this. Those words seemed to be the vocal equivalent of a knife being slid across his chest. He'd prefer the knife actually.

"Coop…" Jack shook his head, "None of us knew…"

Okay, he was a liar. _He_ should have known, maybe he even did… He was in the exact same mindset, at the exact same time. And he had still overlooked all of the clues.

"I should've…" Cooper slammed his right fist down on his thigh, "I should have fucking known… I grew up with the man! He was my big brother!"

Jack shrugged, "I spent about twenty years serving next to the guy… I… We spent so much time together. We had seen each other on all the bad days… I… I didn't catch on before it was too late…"

"But I was his BROTHER!"

Jack nodded, he understood Cooper's point of view. But it wasn't right.

"Just because you were related to him, doesn't mean you have any more reason to feel guilty than the rest of us…"

"But…"

"Do you blame me because of it?" Jack forced Cooper to look at him. He damn well blamed himself, but he _knew_ that Cooper sure as hell didn't.

The blond shook his head.

"NO. Then you shouldn't blame yourself either!" _Yeah, great job Jack… You know you blame yourself, and you're… FORGET IT…_

Cooper tried to look away, but Jack's hands made that a hard task.

"You hear me?" Jack sat up a little straighter, trying to get on level with Coop's eyes. His voice had switched over to that commanding, no nonsense, Delta mode. "DO NOT EVEN DARE TO BLAME YOURSELF!"

Cooper yanked his head out of Jack's firm grip, but he didn't really look away. His eyes held gallons of unshed tears, his jaw was set hard against the hiccups and sobs threatening to escape.

"Coop…" Jack sighed in that same big-brother tone he used on all his own siblings, "Please… Don't blame yourself…"

And then the last wall broke down.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"…I'd probably take a swing at him too…" Jack admitted under his breath about an hour later.

Cooper dried off the remnants of some not so silent tears, before he looked over at Jack. "What?"

"I'd probably take a swing at him too…" Jack repeated a little louder, making sure Cooper caught it this time.

"Yeah…?"

"Doing something like this… To you…" Jack looked over and nudged the bigger man with his elbow, "The guy deserves a beating…"

 **Okay… Well…  
I'll probably be back with another chapter sometime soon(ish)**

 **Not sure whether that chapter will continue where this left off or if it'll be a bit lighter…**


	80. Chapter 80

**Okay… What will I write now? Huh?**

Michelle got home a quarter to four, and she was a little surprised to find both the men passed out on the couch once again.

She hung her purse on one of the pegs in the hall, before she went inside the living room.

On the table she found three photo albums. She picked the first one up and looked at the first page, the one without any plastic pockets. In Jack's slightly slanting handwriting she could read what the album covered.

 _'1985-1987  
Home + brothers + wild times'_

She knew Jack sometimes just referred to his friends from the army as 'brothers' so she figured it had to be just that. And 1985 would be the year he was 18, old enough to enlist. But not a Delta yet.

She sat down in the armchair and turned the page, revealing the first two pictures.

One was Jack and his actual brother, Nick. The caption read ' _Last high school party!'_ She marveled at how young they both looked, and how identical they had used to be. She had no problems with figuring out who was who now, but she wouldn't have taken on the task back in '85 or whenever that picture was from.

The next picture was Jack and a girl, he was kissing her cheek. It was cute. The only reason she knew it was Jack was because it said ' _Me and Georgia… Same party"_ This Georgia was absolutely gorgeous with her black, natural hair and African-American lips.

It was a little weird knowing that this album held pictures roughly as old as her, and still Jack was in his late teens at the start of it.

She turned the page and found four new pictures. It showed a bunch of kids (teens…) having the time of their lives. She saw a keg of beer, a bonfire, a couple of trucks.

By each picture there was a caption, giving away who was in the pictures. She almost chortled when she found Boxer in the background of one of the pictures. Well, a lot of time had passed for him as well since the picture had been taken.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

About a quarter into the first album the scenery changed. Up until this point it had been friends and family only. A couple of hikes and parties, and Jack's hometown in general.

Then the plaid and denim was changed in for army greens.

She easily recognized Jack. His hair was a little darker, he had no wrinkles, but it was still the same brilliant smile and the same warm eyes she loved so much. He was standing with his arm wrapped around Boxer's shoulders, and the text below the image said, ' _Me and Box made the same unit!'_ There was no doubt both of the friends were happy because of it.

The picture below it was of a blond guy, and if Michelle hadn't known better she would have guessed it was Cooper. _'This is Norway… He's OK…'_

Michelle smirked, Jack's everlasting ability to give people nicknames. It was obviously no new habit.

A few pages later she found another picture that caught her eye. Three guys crammed in side by side in the lower bunk of a bunk bed, a table was shoved over to it. There were cards on the table and each of the three were holding cards in their hands. _'Poker… Box, me and Norway (Charlie Lea)'_

The next picture showed a triumphant Jack, Charlie giving him a smack on the back of the head and Boxer just looking like a sore loser. _'Guess who won! –Not Norway or Box…'_

Michelle started to realize why the albums were on the table. The men had been looking at old pictures of Charlie.

A few pages later she found the trio again, covered in dust and mud. Bright white teeth standing out as a contrast to dirty faces. _'Made it through another day! Killed it at the obstacle course!'_

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Another few pages later she found the trio yet again. The big blond one with one Texan on either side of him. _'Shipping out together for the first time!'_

After that there were small glimpses of their time in whatever country they were in. Some seemed to be serious moments. Tired, drained young American soldiers, who most of all wanted to go home and sleep in their own bed for a change. Other pictures showed some of the crazy things guys decide to do when they get bored enough. Like playing air-guitar with machine guns. Jack and Charlie were the artists.

Another picture showed five guys doing handstands. The fifth guy was way out of balance and looked like he was about to fall. _'Box, Charlie, Gus, me and Freddy…'_

The next one showed Boxer as the sole survivor of the competition. _'Box won… Don't know how, but he won…'_

Michelle grinned at the captions. She could ses it all happening, all the events that had been captured on film and developed ages ago.

A few pages later she found some of the cutest stuff she had ever seen. It was a scrawny little kid with messy mop of white-blond hair. He looked to be about five years old and was sitting on top of Charlie's wide shoulders. ' _Charlie and his kid brother, Cooper.'_

Michelle looked at the skinny kid for a few seconds, then she looked over at the not at all skinny man sprawled on one end of the sofa, then back at the picture again. He still had a similar smile, but she would never have guessed he had looked like that once upon a time.

 _'The 1_ _st_ _time Box and I tagged along to California…'_ the label above the one with Charlie and Cooper read, and the first picture on the page showed two young soldiers home on leave. They were sitting on a big beach, and Michelle was ready to bet Charlie had driven them up Highway 1 on their way up to where he lived.

A few pages later she found a young Jack with a kid Cooper _STANDING_ on the top of his shoulders. Jack had his hands up to offer the kid something to hold on to. In the background she could see Box and Charlie do the same thing. Charlie looked like it was an easy task to have a grown man balancing on his shoulders, Boxer looked like he would have liked something to hold on to. _'Thinking 'bout starting a circus… Ma Lea laughed at us…'_

She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing herself.

She studied the last photo a little while longer, all of them were smiling. Happy. The kid, Cooper, looked like he was having the time of his life. Jack looked like he would have been ready to adopt the blond kid if necessary. No wonder he cared so much about him still…

 **Okay, I'm just gonna leave this right here… I had a plan of writing through all the three albums in once… But then this turned out kinda cute, and I sorta wanted to keep it separate.**


	81. Chapter 81

**Okay, so you thought the last chapter was cute? Good. I was kinda going for it…**

Jack woke up and found Michelle curled up in one of the chairs with one of his old photo albums in her lap. A brief smile crossed his lips before he sat back up.

She looked over as she heard him move, flashing an apologetic smile.

"Come over here…" he chuckled, low enough not to wake Coop. He arranged himself so that there was room for Michelle beside him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snoop…" she shrugged as she got up.

"Hey don't worry. They were laying on the table…" Jack shrugged, "I just want to act like a live commentary… Which one is it?"

"The second…" Michelle answered, "1987 to 1993…"

"There are some pretty funny pics in there…" Jack smirked, "Did you see the big redwood over here when he was a kid?"

Michelle nodded, "He was adorable…"

"He was a fun kid…" Jack nodded, "I guess his older brother would have wished he could stay that innocent forever… I sure wish he did."

Michelle almost grimaced at the grave tone which laced his voice as he added that last part. She couldn't help but imagine that Jack thought of something in particular. To her it sounded like Charlie would have liked for Cooper to always stay a kid, and never join the military, while Jack probably had another thing in mind, maybe something about Charlie himself.

Jack didn't mention it further, and Michelle didn't ask as she climbed in next to Jack. She crossed her legs and leaned on Jack, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She opened the album on the first page again and leaned her head against his chest.

"Oh, that's home… And that's the dog we got during my first year of high school. We had him up until… 1991 or something…" Jack pointed at the Border Collie in the picture. "He loved playing fetch… And he was a great herder…"

Michelle smiled, this right here might just be her new favorite thing to do. Listen to Jack tell stories.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

35 minutes later Jack stopped at a photo of him. He was wearing a button shirt and a sling, and you could see the thick bandages under his shirt.

He looked at the picture for a long time before he looked over at Michelle, "Know all those smaller scars at the front of my right shoulder? And the bigger ones at the back of it?"

Michelle nodded.

"Yeah…" Jack started and tapped at the picture, "That was it… Five bullets. Sucked…"

Michelle nodded and placed one hand on Jack's left thigh.

On the next page two other young men smiled at them. Box and Charlie. Jack grinned as he pointed to the old photo. "A couple of weeks later when they shipped back stateside, Box and Coop came to visit me. We weren't doing much, just hung out together… They almost babysat me, I guess…"

Michelle chuckled, "What?"

"They would not let me do anything on my own…" Jack chuckled, "Like, Box didn't even let me carry my own plate back to the sink. Charlie just had this thing about making sure I was as comfortable as I could be. He would ask if I needed another pillow when we were sitting down in the couch, he would ask if he should go to the freezer and find something to ice my shoulder with… Stuff like that…"

Michelle smiled at the mental image of two tough guy soldiers worrying about Jack.

"I think one of my sisters even had a crush on Charlie…" Jack chuckled.

"Really? Which one?"

Jack shrugged, "I don't really remember, might have been Christine… Could be Rita too… It's a long time ago, I don't remember, I basically have no idea. And it was never confirmed…"

Michelle chuckled as Jack went on to talk about the next picture.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Should we wake him up soon?" Michelle asked as Cooper turned in his sleep and snored a little.

"Nah…"

"You sure?"

"Looks like he's getting some decent rest…" Jack shrugged, "Not quite sure when he got that the last time…"

At Michelle's confused expression, Jack continued. "See, big guy over there says he's alright, and that he's getting enough sleep… But I know him… And I've seen him running on empty lots of times before, not easy to notice with that man…"

Michelle nodded.

"But I think he needs this… We can wake him up after we have finished the third album, and made some dinner. Huh?"

Michelle nodded and studied the big man curled up on the short end of the couch. She didn't question Jack, he was probably right, but she never would have figured something like that out by Coop's behavior the last few days. Maybe, just maybe if she had known him for years. –But she doubted that.

"Speaking of which… What do you think we should make for dinner? I'm up for kitchen duty…"

Michelle narrowed her eyes and looked at Jack, "You're up for kitchen duty?"

"Yeah, I want to start helping out again…" Jack shrugged, "I'm starting to get seriously bored, plus… I could be useful… And good company."

"You really want to help?"

Jack nodded, "I could chop vegetables, I could sit by the table and do that… Just don't make me stand there and stir in some pot or something…"

Michelle nodded, "Okay, if you really, really want to, I guess I could find some sort of task for you later…"

Jack grinned and picked up the third album, "But first we go through this one too…"

Michelle nodded, "Deal…"

"There are a few more albums with the same sort of pictures, but we just took what we managed to carry in one run…" Jack chuckled, "Goes all the way up to when I left Delta for the next gig…"

Michelle nodded and leaned closer again, "So we'll have many more moments like these then? And we could always go through the albums times and times again…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, we won't run out of pictures to look at in a while. I think it's somewhere around 7 to 9 albums of the same sort left AFTER this one. And then there's the other stuff like camping trips, family gatherings… Highlights from the times Box, Nick and I tried to give Evel Knievel a healthy competition, that actually has two albums alone…"

Michelle chuckled, "You're kidding now?"

"About the Evel Knievel albums?"

"Yeah…?"

"Kinda wish I did…" Jack chuckled, "But we made a lot of memories. I'm glad Ma saved every single film roll from we were young… Think I've re-developed about half of it."

"You like pictures, don't you?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah… Guess it started one time I was laid up with an injury as a kid. Mom figured she'd give me something to do, to keep both of us from going crazy. She made me put pictures into an album and try to mention something about the pictures on the labels. And I started liking it."

Michelle smiled at the thought, "So… Do you still make albums?"

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "Well, when I've got nothing else to do…"

"Okay, quick request then…"

"What?"

"When this little rascal gets born… You're in charge of the baby album…"

Jack looked down at her not-yet-big belly and nodded, "Okay… Deal!"

 **Okay… Another chapter down. Hope you enjoyed this (sweet) gooey stuff…**


	82. Chapter 82

**Well. Hello…  
Do you guys realize that I actually wrote through the whole summer? Not each and every day, but still… I kept on spewing out chapters for this one?  
No? Well, anyway… I just realized that…  
Now, should I be proud or frightened? IDK… **

**Let's get on with it…**

It took him a second or so to respond as someone attempted to wake him up. He rolled over to his right side and tucked his legs close. "What year is it?"

"Same as when you fell asleep…" Jack's voice answered him. "2018, in case you forgot…"

Cooper blinked a few times before he managed to focus on Jack.

"Shit man…" Cooper moaned, "It feels like I've slept for a decade…"

Jack chuckled, "You look that way too…"

Coop put his feet on the floor and sat up. He laid his arm across his lap and covered his elbow with his right hand. He didn't notice it himself, before Jack leaned on his crutches and dug into his back pocket, pulled out a bottle of Advil and tossed it at him, quickly followed by a water bottle. "Thought you'd might want some…"

Cooper picked up the bottle and looked at it, then he looked towards his left elbow and nodded, "Yeah… Was a stupid move, right?"

Jack shrugged as he took hold of his crutches again, "I've seen stupider shit…"

"Yeah? When?" Cooper glanced up at Jack as he twisted the cap off the bottle and shook out two pills, "Cause I sure as hell can't remember the last time I saw someone with a cast like this trying to go all mental on a boxing bag…"

"Well, wouldn't exactly call it going mental…" Jack chuckled, "It was one unplanned move…"

"Would have turned into a freaking frenzy if it hadn't hurt as bad…"

Jack just shook his head.

"I promise you…" Cooper popped the pills into his mouth, "I would have flipped…"

"Nah…" Jack shook his head again, "But it could be good for you…"

Cooper twisted the cap off the water bottle too and washed down the Advils. "I would've…"

Jack shrugged, "Whatever… -Dinner is ready by the way, so you better get your ass into the kitchen…"

Cooper smirked and stood up, "Seriously, how long did I sleep?"

"About five hours…" Jack shrugged, "Not really sure when we fell asleep on the couch…"

"You could have woken me up earlier…"

"Nah…" Jack chuckled, "You looked like you were having some good dreams…"

Cooper shrugged, "Well, got some good sleep at least…"

And that was all Jack secretly wanted to hear.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Sure you don't have a sister?"

The question had her blushing as she shook her head, "No… Just two brothers…"

"Any cute cousins? Or friends who cook?" Cooper looked over at her.

"They're all either married with kids, married to their job or only interested in girls…"

Cooper's face revealed that he was slightly disappointed, before a smirk took over his features, "I could work with that, as long as they'd be willing to make dinner for me every now and then when I'm in this country…"

Jack chuckled, "You're not looking for a girlfriend… You're looking for a cook?"

Coop shrugged, "I'll take what I can get… I'll even act as a beard if I have to…"

"Sorry, the two girls who like girls are open about it… And with each other…"

"Do they need a pet handyman? I'll work for food… -Even if they're just halfway as good as you at cooking…"

Michelle laughed out loud, "Well, I doubt it… Amy is a girlie girl, alright… But Tiffany has her own construction company…"

"Damn it…" Cooper feigned defeat.

"Hey, you could always learn how to cook for yourself…" Jack chuckled.

"Yeah… No."

"Why not? It's a nice skill to have…" Jack shrugged.

"The last time I tried to actually cook something…" Cooper sat back, "I made an unholy mess, and the thing I tried making was burnt beyond all recognition…"

"And what were you trying to make?"

"Meatballs…" Cooper chuckled, "Might as well have been shrapnel by the looks of 'em… I don't even think I would have eaten them willingly after the three week op gone sideways…"

Jack shuddered, "Okay, it was that bad…"

"Yep…" Cooper asked while Michelle looked confused at the two men.

"There's obviously a story there…"

"It was supposed to be three weeks…" Jack started.

"We finally made it back to friendly territory after seven weeks…" Cooper added, "And even though we can't tell you exactly _where_ the operation took place, I guess we can tell you that the area wasn't exactly rich when it came to natural food sources…"

"-Or water…" Jack reached for his glass and took a sip. "There weren't much water to find either…"

Coop nodded in agreement and reached for his own glass, just the memory made him thirsty.

"Scorpions and snakes aren't exactly my favorite things to snack on, but in a pinch…" Jack shrugged, "They'll do…"

"Good thing none of us got hangry…"

"We were too exhausted to get hangry…" Jack shook his head, "At least I was… My guess is, y'all were too…"

Coop nodded, "Yeah, that might be the reason…"

Michelle just looked at them, almost hoping that they would flash a couple of way-too-proud smiles and tell her that they were just joking. That didn't happen though…

"Shit… Were you alright?"

The two men shrugged, almost like it had been nothing.

"A little delirious I guess… And dehydrated…" Cooper scratched his neck, "And sunburnt… We ran out of sunscreen too…"

"Even the kind your mom sent regularly in the care packages…" Jack chuckled, "And for some reason we couldn't just cover up with clothing either… You know, big lightweight scarves and all…"

"Yeah, that's cause Dunc messed up his shoulder. And we kinda needed something to cover that grace wound Box got too… That's where all the shemaghs and stuff went…"

"Yeah, they were lucky that time, good thing it wasn't worse."

Cooper tilted his head and stared at Jack.

"Okay… It still was bad… -But it could've been worse…"

"Okay…" Coop nodded, "We were lost, LOST, behind enemy lines. Our radios were fried, we lost most of our med kit because it got peppered with a hail of bullets. We ran out of food and water. Two of our guys had injuries that should have been looked at by professionals as soon as possible, and you can add pretty serious dehydration and starvation to the list for all of us… Only two ways it could have been worse is if those two guys got infections or something, or if any of us died by other causes…"

There was a slight pause before Jack answered, "Hey, more of us could have been actually hurt too…"

Cooper looked down in his lap, "Okay, guess there were three ways it could've been worse then… But it was bad…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, it's one of the low-points of my career…"

"Same…" Cooper nodded, "That and… Oh, I just have to find a 'covered' way to say this one…"

Jack waited patiently, Michelle did too.

"Remember when that anchor tore lose?"

Jack's head jerked up a little, "Anchor? Do you mean that time we rappelled and the thing you and…"

"Of course… Worst 12 hours of my damn life…" Cooper frowned, "I don't think it was particularly fun for Pete either…"

"He landed a little better, didn't he?"

"He landed on top of me, that's what he did…"

"What happened?" Michelle looked between the two men in hope of an answer.

"We were on a mountain. We were basically done, just needed to get back down and get out of there. Coop and Pete used the same tree as an anchor for when they were to rappel down. What they didn't know was that that tree was rotten all the way through!"

"It didn't look that way…"

"To be fair, it didn't…" Jack agreed, "They hadn't gotten far when the tree just decided that enough was enough and snapped like a freaking twig… They landed on a ledge about halfway down."

"Pete was a little more cautious than me when we went down. So I was a little bit further down than him." Coop shrugged, "He sprained one wrist and one elbow, of course on the opposite sides…"

"And your ribs were broken…"

"Bruised…" Coop corrected, "But it was all of them on the right side, and a few on the left, so yeah… I was useless…"

"Didn't you break anything too?"

Coop shrugged a bit, "Some of the ribs were cracked, but I don't think that counts as _broken_ … And my back was no good, for the obvious reasons…"

Jack nodded.

"And it took the rest of us hours to get down to them, because well… We didn't trust the other trees… And there weren't really all that much else to anchor to, there weren't even any good crevasses to put those real anchors into…"

Coop nodded, "And then you sorry guys had to get me down from there! And get me over to the exfil location."

"Yeah, and Dunc bitched and moaned all the time, cussing the irrevocable fact that it's always the biggest or heaviest that gets hurt when shit goes bad!"

"And it was definitely before he started to bulk up for real too…"

Jack nodded, "He was barely bigger than Mac at that point. And you were… -About same as you are now…"

Michelle couldn't keep from chuckling at the horrible situation they had been in. It was okay though, she already knew the end of the story.

"And that makeshift stretcher you guys made…" Coop shook his head, "Not comfortable. And as an added bonus to that, I thought I was gonna take another fall as you lowered me down from that ledge we had been trapped on…"

Jack nodded, "We were worried about that too…"

"I can't tell you how grateful I am that you didn't tell me that back then…" Cooper shook his head. "I would have freaked out."

"I totally understand why…" Michelle nodded, "Now, are you two ready for dessert?"

"Dessert?" Jack raised his eyebrows, "I didn't know we had any?"

"Well, we didn't…" Michelle nodded, "But I bought ice cream…"

"Do you understand how this woman fell for me?" Jack smirked over at Coop, "Cause I think she's lightyears outta my league!"

Cooper chuckled, "I don't know boss… Must like trouble…"

Michelle chuckled too and tilted her head to look at Jack, "Either that, or you might actually be charming…."

 **Okay, that was the chapter for today… I don't know when I'll be up with another one…**

 **Hope you enjoyed it…**


	83. Chapter 83

**Okay… So… It's been a few days.**

They had just finished a rather late breakfast when there was a knock on the door, quickly followed by the front door being unlocked and opened.

"Wonder who it is this time…" Jack leaned to his side in an attempt to see the new visitor.

The visitor revealed himself soon enough.

"Bozer?"

"Yeah… Hi…" Bozer nodded, "Hope I didn't interrupt…"

The three around the breakfast table shared a quick look before Jack shook his head.

"Damn kid…" Jack squinted to look at Bozer, pointing to the area above his own right eyebrow, "Is that a scope bite?"

Cooper turned in his seat to see the injury, about ready to tease the man about it. Well, at least until he saw the young man in the doorway. It was Mac's flat mate. The way too innocent wannabe moviemaker Cooper had met on a few occasions. Jack had mentioned a guy, Bozer, was filling in for him. Coop didn't connect the dots before now. Well, Bozer hadn't been in the game for long enough to deserve a teasing for a 'scope bite'.

You could see the defeat washing over Bozer as he nodded. "Yeah, the recoil got me…"

Jack winced as he studied it a bit more. "Come on over kid…"

Bozer nodded and walked over, and sat down on the free chair.

Jack studied the butterfly bandages holding the curved gash closed. "Well, welcome to the club…"

"Like you ever got one of these…" Bozer rolled his eyes, as he gestured to his own forehead.

"More than once…" Cooper shrugged, "Both of us…"

Bozer looked at Cooper like he was lying, until Cooper pointed to a spot just above his brow, "Barely visible, but there should be a scar there… That guy across the table and my brother teased me for weeks…"

Jack pressed his hand against his lips to avoid laughing too loud. Then he nodded. "Yeah, mine blends in well with what Michelle has dubbed my 'angry-wrinkles'…"

Coop chuckled, "Well, I'll adopt that one…"

"For your own wrinkles?" Jack hoped, but he felt a sting coming on.

"No, what are you talking about, I hardly have any… For yours!" Coop shot back, laughing.

Michelle bit her lips as she tried to keep from laughing as Jack frowned and his angry wrinkles showed themselves.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Cooper sat with them for another half hour before he got up. "Think I better head on home now… It's been real fun spending some time with you guys…"

"It's been real nice having you here too…" Michelle grinned, "So remember, don't be afraid to call him up next time you've got a little time on your hands…"

Jack nodded, "You're always welcome here brother…"

"Thanks guys…" Cooper grinned, as the others got up too, ready to follow him out to his car.

 **Alright, I'll likely jump ahead a little bit for the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this though…**

 **Not the longest chapter, I know… Sorry!**


	84. Chapter 84

**Thank you all so much for the reviews.**

 **Okay, so… This chapter is a few weeks later. (April 2nd 2018 if anyone is interested...)**

Jack hobbled back and forth in the living room as he waited for Michelle to get ready to go. It was her birthday, they had one errand to run before he was planning on taking her out to dinner in the evening. But it was the errand he (and maybe she too) looked forward to the most.

He paused and adjusted his crutches. It was nearly three months since he had been shot, and a little over two months since his surgery. The cast was gone, but full weight bearing and all that crap was still outside his reach. And rehab was literal hell, he was pretty sure that Christopher Jenkins was the spawn of the devil himself. Actually, he had a theory that _all_ physiotherapists were direct descendants of the one with red horns and a pitchfork, they sure acted that way sometimes. Christopher Jenkins being no exception.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle drove them towards the hospital. Jack wasn't allowed to drive yet, he was fine with that, he didn't really want to anyway. Not when he knew how uncomfortable it was moving his leg. No he was totally fine with riding shotgun.

"Are you excited?" she asked, casting a quick glance over at Jack.

"Yeah, very!" Jack smiled over at her, "And you?"

"You know I am…" she smiled, "We want to know, right?"

Jack nodded, "As long as you want to know…"

"We don't have to know if you don't want to…" Michelle glanced over again.

"No, I meant…" Jack spent a second trying to figure out exactly how to put it, "I want to know, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep it a secret if you don't want to know yet. And if you don't want to know, then I can get by without knowing…"

Michelle nodded, "I think I want to know… Would be nice calling it he or she, instead of… It…"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, and calling it 'the baby' is a bit lengthy sometimes…"

Michelle nodded, "Plus, if we know what it is, then we can start planning baby names…"

"We've already started that…"

"Yeah, but we could rule out half of them…"

Jack nodded, "That's true."

"So… We want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Yeah…" Jack grinned, "But we're not going to go all crazy and paint the baby room either pink or blue? Are we? Cause you'll have to do that yourself, I'm still hobbling around on crutches…"

"Nah…" Michelle shook her head, "We can have pink or blue details. Painting an entire room seems a bit overkill. I mean, it's cute for a couple of years and then it's… Not…"

Jack chuckled.

"So… Pink or blue lamp shades, curtains… Some other decorative things in those colors…?" Jack shrugged.

"Sounds good…" Michelle nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

How in the name of everything good was it possible to fall in love with a barely human-looking form on a screen in blurry black and grey? Jack would never figure that out, but one thing he did know was that he loved that small weird looking thing with all his heart. And he would protect it accordingly.

"IT MOVES!" Jack pointed to the screen in awe.

"Yes…" the doctor nodded, "It's an active little person she's carrying around…"

"Jack, you already know it moves…"

"Yeah, but I didn't expect to get to see it on the screen!" Jack gestured to the screen again, "That's awesome…"

"First time dad?" the doctor asked and looked at the two of them.

"Yeah…" Jack nodded.

Michelle grinned, as the doctor moved the scanner around on her belly, showing them the baby from all different angles.

"Actually it's his first time tagging along here too…" Michelle added.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, haven't really been up for too much travelling lately…" Jack explained as he gestured to the crutches he had placed up against the wall.

"Yeah, it was a real bad injury…" Michelle filled in, "He got the cast off Wednesday last week… But he's still got a fair bit of recovery ahead of him…"

"So you broke your leg?" the doctor looked over at Jack.

Jack nodded and ran his hand over his thigh. It didn't hurt to do that, unless he put pressure on it. "Yeah, my thigh. Worst break I can remember having…"

"Femur… Yeah, I've heard that tends to be extra painful…" the doctor frowned.

"I'd say that…" Jack nodded, he didn't need to reveal that he had actually been shot too. That just wasn't necessary.

"He have been grumpy each time I've had a checkup and he has realized he hasn't been up for tagging along for it…"

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, blushing slightly, "I mean, I wanted to be a part of all of this, from beginning to end…"

The doctor smiled and looked back at the screen. "So, do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl? I can tell you if you'd like…"

"Yes please…" Michelle smiled, looking over at Jack who nodded eagerly.

The doctor moved the scanner again, finding the best angle to show as she she intended to reveal the gender. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah…" Jack answered for them, he was on the edge of his seat and holding Michelle's hand. She was giving his hand a firm squeeze.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The doctor might as well have been a thriller writer, she kept them on the edge of their seats as they waited for the announcement. She sure took her time.

"So, have you been guessing on what it is?"

"Well, we kinda have a bet going…" Michelle chuckled.

"Oh?" the doctor looked up from the screen.

"I'm guessing boy, he's guessing it's a girl…"

"Well, at least one of you have to be right…" the doctor smiled.

She studied the screen for a brief second, just to double check.

"Let's see… It's… A…" she trailed off, looking at the expectant parents, seeing how eager they were to know, "It's a girl…"

"A girl?" Michelle repeated with a smile, and the doctor nodded.

"It's a girl?" Jack asked once more, just to be sure.

"Yes, it's a girl…" the doctor confirmed, and Michelle instantly started thinking about how the future would be with a little baby girl in their lives. She had no doubts it would be the most beautiful baby girl she had ever seen, and she couldn't wait to actually meet her. Have her in her arms, or see Jack taking care of the little one.

"It's a girl…" Jack grinned, "We're having a girl!"

"Yes you are…" the doctor smiled, "Congratulations…"

"Thanks…" Michelle smiled, before she looked over at Jack, "Guess you won…"

Jack chuckled, "Well, can my prize be taking you out to dinner tonight?"

Michelle chuckled, "I'd love that…"

"Great." Jack grinned, "Cause I've been waiting to do that you know…"

"You have?"

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "But after the movie date I figured that maybe it would be best to wait until my leg was a little bit better before we ventured out on a fancier date…"

Michelle chuckled, and looked towards Jack's leg, "So you did struggle a bit…"

Jack chuckled, "I realized it was pretty obvious when I saw myself in the mirror that evening, but by then I had already assured you like five times that it wasn't bothering me…"

Michelle nodded, and looked at the screen showing their baby, then she looked at the doctor. "Would it be possible for us to get a print-out of that?"

The doctor nodded, "Of course…"

 **Okay… Soo…**

 **Hope you enjoyed this little chapter.**


	85. Chapter 85

**Okay, so… Here we go again.**

Michelle blushed as Jack hobbled over and held the chair out for her. "You don't have to do this…"

"Yeah… I do…" Jack winked. He placed a quick kiss on her bare shoulder before he repositioned his crutches and moved around the table to his own chair. "You look amazing by the way."

Michelle smiled and looked down at her dark grey dress and her noticeably pregnant belly. "Think about that… -A girl…"

Jack nodded as he sat down, "Guess we can scratch names like John and Andrew off the list now."

"And Jack…" Michelle nodded, "Isn't there this tradition in your family? First born boy gets the name Jack…"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, Jack and some sort of middle name to make it a bit easier to specify which one of us you're talking about…"

"I think we should go with that… You know… If we end up having a boy some time in the future."

Jack smirked, "If you insist…"

Michelle nodded. "I think it's a cute tradition…"

"What are your top contenders for girl names then?" Jack tilted his head.

"Something short. Maybe Nina or Iris… Jane?"

"Those are cute…"

"And yours? What's your favorites?" Michelle inquired.

"Maybe something on 'M'. Marilyn? Miriam?" Jack smirked, "Or something cool and historical? Bonnie. Or better, Amelia."

"I'm okay with Amelia, that's a nice name. But are you really thinking about naming her after a historical criminal figure?"

Jack shrugged, "It's a cool name…"

Michelle shook her head, "I like Amelia better…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, me too… She was a real role model."

Michelle nodded, "I guess she was."

"But I like the idea of a short name." Jack smiled, "Ruby is a nice name, Joan… Maybe Kate?"

"Kathrine?" Michelle offered, "But we'd just call her Kate…"

"I like that one…" Jack grinned.

"Jordan?" Michelle added, "What about Jordan?"

"Macy?" Jack offered, "But I like Jordan. It's sporty…"

Michelle nodded, "Macy is nice too…"

Jack looked up in time to see the waiter pick up a couple of menus and head towards them.

"Guess we'll discuss this more later…" Jack winked.

Michelle nodded, "You know we will…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"May I get you something to drink before you decide what you would like to eat?" the waiter asked.

Michelle nodded, "I'd like a Coke if you have, no ice…"

"Of course," the waiter nodded wrote it down and looked expectantly at Jack.

"I'd like the same, please…"

"No ice?"

"No ice…" Jack nodded.

"Okay, I'll bring you your drinks, while you study the menu." The waiter winked and walked back to the counter.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They got their drinks and ordered their food. Jack picked a steak dinner, Michelle chose a chicken pasta dish.

They continued talking baby names, until they were down to five top contenders., Nina, Kathrine, Joan, Marilyn and Amelia. They would need to spend some significant amount of time to get those five down to one. And that was a task for another day.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Have I remembered to tell you that you look smoking hot today?" Jack asked with a crooked smile, "Cause you do…"

Michelle blushed and looked down at her belly, "Even if I am a little front-heavy?"

With a smile Jack nodded. "You look absolutely amazing."

"So do you…" Michelle winked back, "Handsome as sin…"

Jack tried to hide his smile, to no use. "So you're not tired of seeing my ugly mug every morning?"

Michelle laughed, "Not even a bit! And I think I just called you handsome…"

"Not quite sure you use the word correctly…" Jack chuckled.

"Well, I am sure of it…" Michelle brought her hand up to tuck a few curls behind her right ear, "Or I could trust the guy who frequently mixes up words…"

Jack almost blushed, "Yeah, okay… I guess you win this round."

"I guess I do…" Michelle chuckled, "And that means, you're handsome."

Jack chuckled, "I sure don't understand what a pretty girl like you sees in an old soldier like me… But I enjoy it."

Michelle nodded, "I love you."

"Shoot… You beat me to saying it this time too…" Jack smiled, "I love you too…"

 **Okay, so… I've had some pretty busy days at work. That's why I haven't posted much lately.**

 **And one thing I realized:**

 **IT'S LESS THAN A WEEK UNTIL SEASON 2 STARTS AIRING! Now that calls for a celebration of some sort!  
(Mine will be a few hours of sleep I guess, and homemade bread for breakfast tomorrow!)**


	86. Chapter 86

**Okay… Next chapter. Are you ready?**

Lou Carra sneaked a glimpse in the rearview mirror as he drove down Magnolia avenue to get to the East Pacific Coast Highway.

The couple in the back had obviously been out on a date. Both were dressed nicely. The man wore two thirds of a suit, the woman wore a nice dress and had the man's jacket draped around her shoulders.

Lou had placed the man's crutches in the trunk of the taxi. He always wondered about the reason every time he had he had customers coming to the car with crutches or obvious disabilities of some sort. He never asked though.

The couple looked very much in love, and Lou's guess was that they were celebrating something. She looked to be pregnant, maybe that was the reason?

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Thanks for letting me borrow your jacket…" the woman whispered. Of course, whispering in a taxi is a bad idea, everyone will hear you no matter what.

"Of course darlin'…" the man answered with a drawl, "Gotta keep my two girls warm…"

The woman chuckled, and Lou's suspicions were confirmed. She was pregnant.

"Are you sure you're not cold…" she then asked.

Lou could see the man nodding in his mirror, the man then laughed, "Honey… I'm gonna lay out my big tough man card right now… I don't get cold."

"You sure about that soldier?" the woman giggled.

 _Soldier. Soldier? Lou listened more intently. Maybe that was the man's reason for being on crutches?_

"Now honey…" the man drawled again, he sounded Texan. To be fair, so did she. "I haven't been a soldier in a good while…"

 _Okay, probably not the reason. Unless it was one of those old injuries that never healed… That was always a possibility._

"Nah… But once a soldier, always a soldier… Right?"

Lou looked up at the mirror again in time to see the man shrug nonchalantly. "Okay, maybe you're right babe…"

"You know I am…" the woman said as the man wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course you are…" Lou smiled at the loving warmth of the man's voice. These two people were in love.

Lou took a left turn and brought the car up to speed when the speed limit changed. He set the cruise control, and relaxed. After the evening he had had up until this point, he needed this trip. He smiled as the words of one of his coworkers played through his mind. _'You might not get the rides you want, but you get the ones you need.'_ A lot of truth in those words. And after five hours of people who looks down at you for what you do for a living, overly drunk people and couples who yell at each other in your taxi, this was a welcomed break. This was the trip he both wanted and needed tonight.

"Happy birthday darlin'…" the man then drawled, and placed a kiss on top of the woman's head, "I love you…"

"Love you too…" the woman replied, kissing the man on his cheek.

Lou almost chuckled. It was nice to see that someone had their lives going for them, he just hoped that they wouldn't go past kissing. Lord knows you get to experience all sorts of stuff as a driver. But these people didn't look like the kind to try to hit a homerun in the back of a taxi.

"What do you say we head straight for the bedroom when we get home…?" the woman whispered.

 _Again, why whisper? The radio was up as far as Lou cared to have it for when people were having regular conversations, but it still didn't block out whispering. Actually he had been through rides where he had the radio BLASTING, and still heard what the people in the back was WHISPERING about. (Which was weird, cause it wasn't always he caught on to what the people in the back said when they talked regularly…)_

"Now darlin'… I'd love to… But I'm beat. I might be up for taking you out to dinner, but my leg… I'm not up for those kinds of activities yet…"

"No-no-no…" the woman chuckled, "Cuddling. Just cuddling…"

The man laughed, "Okay. I'm up for that…"

Lou had to bite his cheek not to laugh. He wasn't even sure what he found so funny even.

"Do you have work tomorrow?" the man asked.

"Evening shift…" the woman answered, "We can sleep in…"

The man let out a short agreeing sound, "Guess we can…"

"Jack…"

"Yeah?" the man, Jack, looked down at his woman.

"Have I ever told you that you have pretty hands?" the woman asked.

The man laughed, "Actually, yes… You have…"

Lou looked up at the mirror again, seeing a big white grin plastered on the man's face.

"I don't really understand how you can find all those old scars and scuff marks pretty though…"

"Maybe not pretty, but sexy…" the woman chuckled, "Let me rephrase myself, you have SEXY hands…"

Lou had to bring his hand up to cover his mouth. He didn't want to laugh, and he didn't want them to see the smile they brought to his face. Luckily he could mask it as running his own hand over his stubbles.

"Well… Let me see… You have sexy everything…" the man replied.

Lou bit down on his lip.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"That'll be 65$…" Lou declared after he had stopped the meter.

"Keep the change…" the man ordered as he handed him four twenties. "But could you get me my crutches?"

"Thank you…" Lou smiled, "Of course. Would you like the receipt?"

The man chuckled, "Nah… Think I'll be just fine without it…"

Lou nodded, and set the meter to vacant. Then he hurried out of the car to get the man his crutches.

When the couple was out of his car, and about to head for their house he cleared his voice a bit, "Have a nice night."

Both of his passengers stopped in their tracks, "Hey man, you too!"

"Thanks…"

Lou smiled and got back in his car, then he headed away, waiting for his beeper to buzz with the next trip.

 **Okay… Just had to make something like this… HAHAHAA**

 **MacGyver is finally back on television! YESSS!**


	87. Chapter 87

**Okay… SO… Another chapter up for you guys. Hope you'll enjoy it.**

Michelle let her dress fall to the floor. She felt Jack's eyes on her, she smiled and made sure to move her hips a bit extra as she walked over to the bed.

The slight look of impatience and lust crossing his face made her smirk.

"How are you feeling soldier?" she teased as she climbed in the bed next to him.

Jack bit his lip, sat up and pulled her closer. As he laid back down, he dragged her down for a kiss. "You keep turnin' me on so… Damn… Much…" he sighed.

Michelle chuckled and kissed Jack again. "I do?"

"Yeah…"

She laid down beside Jack, her belly pressed against his hip, she had one leg draped above his good one. "So… Do you want to test if you're healed enough?"

Jack chuckled, "I can already tell you that I'm not… I want to, but I'm just not up for it yet…"

Michelle nodded against his chest as she let her hand travel up to his face.

Jack let her hand guide his face towards hers, bending his neck to kiss her on top of her head.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack sat up after a little while, pulled his good left leg up close and leaned over placing a kiss on Michelle's pregnant belly.

"That felt good…" Michelle chuckled.

"Hey, scoot up a little bit…" Jack whispered as he scooted a little bit lower down on the bed.

Michelle crawled a little bit further up, giggling when Jack wrapped a long arm around her midriff and kissed her belly. "Tickles…"

"Sorry…"

"Still kinda good…" She ran a hand through his hair, running it down to massage his neck. He placed a hand up on top of her hip, pulling her even closer.

"I love you…" he whispered with his cheek pressed against her stomach.

"I love you too…" Michelle answered.

"Shhh…" Jack chuckled, "I'm talking to our baby girl… -But I love you too!"

Michelle tossed her head back laughing, "I think she likes your voice…"

"Hmmm?"

"She's kicking more when you speak…" Michelle grinned.

Jack quickly looked up with concern in his eyes, "Does it hurt? Is she hurting you?"

"Relax… No, she isn't…" Michelle crawled a bit further down the bed to meet Jack, "It's a fun feeling."

Jack didn't look completely convinced when he nodded and inched a bit up towards the headboard.

"Give me your hand…" Michelle grinned holding out her hand in expectation. Jack placed his hand in hers and watched as she placed his hand on her belly. "I don't know if you'll feel it, but you might…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Ten minutes later, when Jack was just about to give up. The baby kicked directly into his hand.

Jack was on the other side of the bed in an instant. He was pressing down on top of the scar on his right thigh, a grimace planted across his face.

"Shit! Are you okay?" Michelle sat up looking at Jack.

Jack nodded subtly as he took a deep breath, "Yeah. Good."

"You sure?" Michelle asked as she moved closer.

Jack nodded, his right hand still pressing down on his thigh.

"Need me to get some ice?"

Jack shrugged, but pain was seeping through his voice when he answered, "Probably not necessary…"

"I'm gonna find some ice either way. I'll get you some painkillers too…"

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.

"Okay, just sit there, I'll be straight back!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

When Michelle came back to the bedroom, Jack had managed to move himself to a better position on the bed.

"What happened exactly?" she asked as she set a glass of water and two pills, and an icepack down on the nightstand on Jack's side of the bed.

He shook his head, "Nothing…"

Michelle placed her hands on her hips as she stared Jack down. "Whatever that was, it wasn't nothing."

Jack rubbed his neck, "Well…"

"I'm waiting…"

"It's stupid, I…" Jack stopped to clear his voice, "I didn't expect it to be like that. She caught me off-guard…"

Michelle couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, let me just find a t-shirt or something to put under the ice bag… Because if that injury hurts, you should cool it down. Doesn't matter that it's been a little while since the last time you needed to."

Jack swallowed and nodded, "Okay…"

"Good boy…" Michelle teased as she folded a used t-shirt and placed it over Jack's scar.

"I just feel like I should be a lot better by now…" Jack hissed as Michelle placed the homemade ice pack on top of the folded up fabric.

"Why?"

"Cause it's been like, forever, since I got injured…" he grimaced.

"Hey, you need to remember that what happened to your leg wasn't just a little bruise. Okay?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I guess…"

"Exactly." Michelle nodded, "And it hasn't been that long. You got injured the first week of this year, so that means it's only been about three months. Plus it took almost a month after that before you had surgery to piece your femur back together! And then there's all the muscle damage that comes from taking a freaking bullet to the thigh. Anyway, two or three months depending on which incident you have as your starting date is not a long time for this kind of injury…"

Jack nodded, "Guess you're right…"

"Of course I'm right, now take your pills and relax. Do you want to have your leg up too?"

Jack shook his head, "No, this'll be just fine when I lay back down…"

"We have a few cushions stacked in the closet. It's no stress for me to bring one or two over for you…"

"Trust me, this is just fine. But it would be nice with you up against me…"

"You sure mini isn't going to get you to fall out of bed next time she practices her martial arts?"

Jack chuckled, "I just wasn't prepared for my little princess to be that strong yet. –It just freaked me out a little bit. Won't happen the next time."

Michelle chuckled, then she turned serious and folded her arms in front of her, "Okay… But you tell me if you need anything!"

Jack nodded, "Yes ma'am…"

 **Okay, so… Another chapter done and delivered to you! Hope you enjoyed it!**


	88. Chapter 88

**Okay, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Let's skip forward a bit, huh? Like, a month? We'll say this is the start of May or something.**

"Hey, darlin'…" Jack called out. He had hopped out to the kitchen, a carefully planned step in today's master plan. "Could you come in here for a sec?"

"What is it?"

"Just come here for a second…" Jack repeated as he leaned his crutches against the counter. He smiled as he heard Michelle get off the couch and head towards the kitchen.

"What is it?" she asked as she leaned on the door frame.

She had one hand resting on top of her baby bump, and Jack couldn't imagine anything he loved seeing more. He couldn't wait for the day when he would be able to get down on one knee and propose to her. He would have to wait until he could, because he was going to do that whole thing properly. But right now he had something else to surprise he with.

Looking directly at her, he took a step forward while he supported himself on the kitchen counter. He limped heavily, but that wasn't the important part. Then he took another one and another one. He let go of the counter when he could see Michelle was understanding what she was witnessing. Another two limping steps, this time with no support.

"You WALK!" Michelle gasped, pushing off the doorframe.

Jack nodded, "Yeah…"

She stepped closer, but didn't walk all the way over to him. She had her eyes glued on his legs as he took the last seven steps required to reach her. She did not get to see the goofy grin on his face.

She looked up when Jack wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"What do you think?" he winked as he bent down to hug her.

"I almost can't believe it…" she grinned, stretching up to kiss Jack on his chin. "I see the physio is paying off."

Jack nodded, "We've been working on walking without support the past two weeks. Still not ready to do it full time though, but figured I was doing well enough to show off for you."

Michelle grinned and placed her head against Jack's chest, "Mission accomplished, soldier. I'm impressed!"

"Yesss…" Jack chuckled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They stood there on the middle of the floor for a good ten minutes, before Jack let go of her and limped one step sideways to lean against the kitchen counter.

With a crooked smile he shook his head, "But it's still really exhausting to stand around… Must be starting to get tiring for you too now… What do you say we get back to the couch and kick our feet up?"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, my back is aching…"

Jack looked down at her belly, she was past the halfway point now, and it was starting to wear on her. Jack knew that.

"Go in and get settled, I'll be there in a minute."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack found Michelle sitting in the right end of the couch when he came back to the living room. He headed for the left side of it.

He sat down and hid his crutches under the furniture, he lifted his right leg up on the couch, he still used his hands for support, but a lot less now than a few weeks ago. Then he scooted back until he was sitting against the armrest.

"Darlin', come here…" he winked and patted the seat in front of him.

She looked up at him with a slightly confused expression and didn't move. "Why?"

"Just want to sit and be close for a little while…"

"You could come to this end of the couch…"

"Yeah, but then it would be the wrong side for me to have my leg stretched out in front of me. And I don't want to have to lean on you…"

Michelle sighed, but stood up and walked over.

Jack smiled as she sat down in front of him, immediately he placed his hands on her hips and steered her so that she was sitting with her back towards him.

"What?"

"Lean a bit forward…" Jack said as he moved his hands up to the small of her back and started massaging her gently.

"Damn that's good!" Michelle gasped as she pulled her feet up on the couch and crossed her legs in front of her. "Please don't stop doing that…"

Jack grinned and leaned forward to place a kiss on her shoulder. "I love you…"

Michelle smiled and placed one hand on top of his right knee, then she gently started rubbing his knee.

"That feels pretty good too…" Jack whispered as he ran his thumbs up and down a stretch of her long back muscles. "-Especially under my kneecap…"

Michelle nodded and kept on enjoying her backrub.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After a long backrub Michelle leaned back and rested against Jack's body. She let out a content sigh as Jack wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

Jack smiled as he felt her body relax against his. He brought his left leg up on the couch too, to wrap around her and support her. He placed one hand on the side of her belly and grinned when he felt the little one move. It was comforting, and a lot less scary than the first time he had felt it.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was first when she woke up two hours later that she realized she had fallen asleep against him. She woke up to a muted action flick playing on the television and Jack's hands resting against her belly.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded, "How are you by the way? Are you sitting well? You're not hurting?"

"Yeah…" Jack hugged her a little, "I'm sitting well. And you don't have to worry about my leg… It's good enough…"

Michelle nodded a little bit, "So you wouldn't be mad about it if I fell asleep like this again?"

"Not at all…"

"Good…" Michelle chuckled and snuggled against his chest once more.

 **Okay, hope you enjoyed.**


	89. Chapter 89

**Hello, I'm here with another chapter. I'm sorry I haven't posted anything during the week, it's been OK weather here, so I've been outside having fun when I haven't been at work.**

"Hey Whiskey…" Caroline smiled as she pressed her phone to her ear. "How are you doing?"

"Aw, I'm doing fine mom…"

"And Michelle? Is my granddaughter treating her nice?"

She could hear Jack laugh on the other end of the line. She loved hearing her children laugh.

"Well…" Jack chuckled, "Michelle's getting bigger, and our baby girl's favorite pastime is kicking her in the ribs…"

Caroline laughed, "Ow, that can be annoying… I remember particularly when I was carrying you and Nick, I felt like you were practicing for the national kickboxing finals."

Jack laughed again, "Yeah, you've mentioned that…"

Caroline picked up a pen that was lying close to her and started doodling on a stack of paper, "So… Are you still off work?"

"Yeah, not quite ready to keep the streets safe just yet. And stunt work is about the last thing I want to do right now…"

"It was a bad break, wasn't it?"

"That. It. Was." Jack confirmed.

"Next Thursday, would you like to come home to Texas for a few days?"

"It's your birthday again, ain't it?" Jack asked, already knowing the answer, "I'll be there…"

"Do you think Michelle will be able to make it too?"

"I guess… If she's not working." Jack answered, "And the others? Are everyone comin'?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be a full house!" Caroline smiled, "Boxer is also coming, you know that kid can't say no to free cake."

"He can't say no to anything that's free AND edible."

"You're not much better…" Caroline chuckled, "Nick too when I think about it…"

"What time do you want us there?"

"You could come anytime you please, but I'm busy on the Monday. So I would recommend you to wait until Tuesday if you're planning on staying with me. But I guess everyone would be exited to have you stay with them…"

"Okay, I'll talk with Michelle and we'll see if both of us will be able to get there, and when."

 **Short chapter I know, and not much to it either… Sorry…**


	90. Chapter 90

**Okay, I know that last chapter was short as F and had (nothing) to it… I'm sorry to say that I think I'm in a 'filler chapter' clench right now. –I'll get out of it eventually…**

 **I've hit that brick wall right now, I'm gonna skip ahead a bit and try to push through it.**

Boxer walked down the stairs just as Jack's old pickup rounded the barn. He saw Michelle behind the wheel and remembered that Jack had been shot a while back.  
But of course it wasn't called 'shot' around here. No he had suffered a fracture. That's what he had, Jack's mom and sisters did not need to know the truth.

He felt that typical sinking feeling in his chest when he saw Jack climb out of the passenger door and reach for his crutches in bed of the truck. He hated seeing his friends, his family, hurt.

At least it looked like Jack was healed enough to put some weight on the leg, and the crutches was mostly for support and to avoid him overexerting himself.

Then he saw Michelle and his slightly worried frown changed into a HUGE smile.

"Hey there!" he boomed, greeting them, "Man, looks like you really did it this time!"

Jack adjusted his crutches and looked down at his leg, "Nah, I'm almost back to walkin' Box… Just a few more months and I'll be running around just like normal."

"I'm not talkin' 'bout your damn leg Wyatt…" Boxer chuckled, Cheshire grin unfolding across his face, "I'm talkin about that situation right there!"

Jack followed Box's fingers to where he pointed towards Michelle's baby bump.

"That thing right there is 18 years of responsibility!" he grinned as he stepped closer to his two visitors, ready to trap both of them in one massive hug. "How are you guys doing?"

Michelle was too busy laughing to answer, Jack recovered quickly enough to choke out his answer. "Good, we're doing good…"

"Great!" Boxer smiled back as he released his two guests.

"And you?" Michelle asked when she was done laughing, "How are you doing?"

"Oh, y'know… Busy as always, just got home a week ago after training some new guys for the unit."

"How'd it go?"

"Made three guys cry…" Boxer answered proudly.

Michelle looked up at Boxer with big eyes, not completely sure what she was supposed to think about his obvious joy of what he had managed.

"You're sick…" Jack chuckled, "You know that…"

"Like you would have done anything different…" Box raised a challenging eyebrow towards Jack.

"Probably not…" Jack admitted, "Did they show promise?"

"Well, most of them did…" Boxer nodded, "But one of the guys that cried, cried because he got a tiny cut on his arm. Guess he wasn't used to see his own blood…"

Jack chuckled and shook his head, "He knows what the job's about, right?"

"I sure hope he does… But enough about my boring job, let's get you settled in." he grinned as he walked to the back of Jack's old truck and lifted their bags out of the back. "I've fired up the grill out back, it'll be ready in five minutes or so."

"Great!" Michelle grinned, "I'm hungry as heck!"

 **Okay. Short chapter. I've been super busy this week and I haven't had the time to write.  
Sorry for that.**


	91. Chapter 91

**Hello guys, I'm here with the next chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it.**

Boxer flipped the radio on, sat back and poked at the burning wood in the fire pit while some old country tunes started playing. They were done eating, but they kept sitting around pit afterwards.

"So…" Boxer crossed his legs and folded his hands over his top knee, then he looked over at Jack "Have you figured out what you're getting Caroline this year?"

"Who says I haven't already bought the gift?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in Boxer's direction.

"It's you…" Boxer countered, "When have you ever bought any gift in good time?"

"Okay, that's fair…" Jack admitted.

Boxer just nodded, "But have you figured out what to get her?"

"Dunno…" Jack shrugged, "Might go traditional this time…"

"Traditional?" Michelle asked.

"When we were young, Wyatt there bought his mom earrings or whatever it's called for every birthday and Christmas…"

Michelle chuckled, "So that's why I got earrings on my birthday?"

Jack blushed, "It's basically one of the few things I feel like I can't go wrong with… Hope you're not mad…"

Michelle chuckled and shook her head, "Of course not, they were supercute. Is that what I'll get for my birthday from here on out?"

Jack shrugged, "I might have to step up my game a bit for you in the future, but I'm not making any promises…"

Michelle chuckled, "I wouldn't mind getting earrings every year…"

"Then I guess you found the right man…" Boxer smirked, "But don't come complaining to me when he gets boring in about 20 years…"

"I don't think he has the ability to be boring." Michelle grinned, reaching out with one hand to rub Jack's shoulder.

"Yeah, you're right…" Boxer admitted, "I don't think I've ever had a dull moment with that goofball over there. That's not bad, considering we've known each other for about half a century."

Jack nodded, "Please don't tell me it's been that long…"

"Ever since 1967, so yeah…" Boxer grinned.

"I'd tease you both for being old as heck… But it would probably come around to bite me in the end…"

Biting his lip Jack looked over and smiled, "Yeah, I'd totally use that 'young and fit' thing you've got going against you…"

"More like pregnant and huge…"

"You're not huge…" Jack countered, "But you're usually really tiny, so I get why you're feeling huge…"

"I'm not tiny…"

Jack and Box looked at each other, before both of them broke out laughing.

"You're tiny…" Boxer backed Jack up, "You're barely 5 feet tall!"

"I'm 5'2"! I'm less than two inches shorter than the national average for women…"

"Who remembers something like that?" Box asked, scrounging up his nose.

"A woman who is less than two inches below the average for women…" Michelle shrugged, "Not that you two tall guys would understand…"

"We're not tall… I'm about 6 foot tall, and Box is a bit shorter…" Jack tilted his head and scratched his chest, while Boxer nodded.

"That's not short…" Michelle stared at the two men, "But of course, you might be messed up a little bit. I mean, hanging around with that blond mountain of a man called Cooper… How tall is he anyway?"

"Too tall!" the men answered in stereo, both ending up chuckling after they had said it.

"That was one of the nicknames we gave him back when we were a team." Jack offered when he saw Michelle's confused expression.

"I don't remember who came up with it first, but everyone started using it and it stuck around…"

"Think it might have been Charlie…"

"No…"

"He was a bit annoyed over the fact that his kid brother had an inch or two on him…"

"Yeah, but…" Boxer stretched his arms over his head until his back cracked audibly, "I thought it might be Pete…"

"Might have been…" Jack nodded, "Or Dunc…"

"Nah… I don't think it was him."

"Well, it wasn't me…" Jack said defensively, "Not you either?"

Boxer shook his head, "No, I didn't come up with that one… But I did call him Paul Bunyan a time or two…"

"I think that's one of those nicknames that just tend to find that tall Californian. I mean, you see him and you just expect to see Babe the blue ox round the corner five seconds later." Jack shrugged.

Box shrugged, then nodded. "Guess you're right."

"Goliath…"

"That's another one…" Boxer nodded, "Oh, and when he wore green fatigues, the Jolly green Giant…"

"Don't you think you're being a bit mean?" Michelle asked looking between Jack and Boxer.

Boxer shrugged, "He knows we tease him, even when he's not around to hear it. Besides, Dunc and Coop are probably busy overseas joking about old missions and weird stuff the two of us have done while in uniform."

"And without uniform…"

"Don't mention that time…"

"No! I didn't mean that time, I meant… Off hours…" Jack held his hands up, "Let's try to keep Yakutsk out of conversation at all times."

"What happened in Yakutsk?"

"It was a freaking cold experience, let's leave it at that…"

"Someone stole our clothes. Poured water on them and smacked 'em up against a metal door." Boxer explained, figuring that Michelle deserved to know, "We were left with nothing but our cowboy boots, so to speak…"

"You didn't actually have cowboy boots?"

Jack shook his head, "No. We had winter boots, and a towel each…"

"And why did you take your clothes off?"

"We were trying to blend in in a sauna…" Boxer chuckled, "We got made, but the guys who made us figured that we'd freeze to death if they just froze our clothes stuck to something."

"That wasn't too far from the truth…" Jack rubbed his neck, "I still can't understand what will possess people to live in those kind of places. It's literally cold enough to make breathing painful!"

Boxer nodded, "Yeah, up until that point of my life, I didn't think chest hair could freeze and break off…"

Michelle instantly pictured it and broke out laughing, "Didn't need that mental picture Box…"

"Sorry…" he grinned, "It was cold…"

Jack nodded, "Instant frost nib pretty much all over…"

"Don't forget the mild frostbite…"

"Honestly, that's the kind of thing you try to forget." Jack sighed.

"Yeah… Guess you're right…" Boxer nodded, "My left hand still hates cold weather…"

"Well, I don't like cold weather in general…"

Boxer nodded, "It's just better when you don't risk freezing to death every time you step outside…"

Jack nodded, "Well, maybe it's kinda alright if you can go back inside whenever you please…"

"Maybe…" Boxer nodded, "That lunatic Coop actually likes winter…"

"Yeah, Charlie did too…" Jack added, "Think it was his favorite time of the year. I don't get it though…"

"If I had to pick my favorite, I'd say fall…"

"Summer." Jack said without a doubt, "It's warm, you can go cool off in a creek… Everything is easy…"

Box shrugged, "Yeah, except for when you've gotta work. Then it's hot as hell and just plain miserable…"

"What's your favorite then?" Michelle asked.

"Either spring or fall…" Boxer shrugged, "Not really sure which…"

"If you had to pick?" Jack challenged.

"Fall. Thanksgiving."

"Of course, food…" Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes.

Michelle gave Jack's shoulder a light shove before she teased, "Well, look who's talking…"

"You ain't any better Wyatt…"

Jack leaned back and sighed, "Yeah, guess you're right… -Hey, look at them stars…"

"Desperately changing subject?" Boxer asked, swatting Jack's upper arm.

"Trying to…" Jack admitted, "But just look up there, they're amazing."

Michelle and Boxer let their heads roll back to make it easier for them to look up at the wide night sky.

"I can hardly imagine anything more beautiful than a Texas sky, night or day…" Boxer drawled before taking a deep breath.

"I can…" Jack smiled and squeezed Michelle's hand gently, "One thing."

"Hmm?" Boxer looked over at him.

"Might turn into two things in a couple of months to be honest…"

"You hopeless romantic…" Boxer chuckled, "-But I get it…"

"Oh, there's a shooting star!" Michelle shot in, "Make a wish guys…"

Then they all fell silent, secretly sending out a wish each while gazing up at the sky full of stars while the fire crackled in front of them.

 **Okay, hope you liked it. I had a bit of fun here, hope it shows.**


	92. Chapter 92

**Okay, let's have fun with this.**

It was a few days later, and Jack was watching Michelle try on the dress she had brought with her.

"What…?" she asked as she caught a glimpse of the smirk on Jack's face.

"Nothin'…" he drawled, the smirk morphing into a wide grin.

"Come on…"

"Just enjoying the view." Jack winked,

"You think I can wear this dress?"

Jack nodded.

"I'll fit in too? It's not too casual?"

"Casual? You'll probably be the best dressed one there."

"Really?"

Jack shrugged, "Yeah, kinda… I mean most of us will meet up in jeans and stuff…"

"I kinda guessed you and Nick would, but the other girls…?"

"Tessa might meet up in a dress of some sort. She's a dress girl, just like you…"

"Dress girl?"

"Yeah, you know… There's girls that sometimes wears dresses without any obvious reason, dress girls. And then there's the rest of them, the ones that only wear pants unless it's some sort of big event…" Jack shrugged.

Michelle chuckled, "I guess you're right… Is it too much then? Should I just wear jeans and a blouse?"

"No… Wear the dress! You look amazing!" Jack grinned, "Besides, all of my sisters will go nuts over how nice you look with that passenger…"

"Passenger…" Michelle chuckled, "Is that what we're calling her now?"

Jack shook his head, "Princess."

Michelle nodded and rested her hands on her quite obvious bump, "I like that… Our little princess."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack ran one hand over his thigh before he pushed off the bed. A couple of heavily limping steps later, he had his arms wrapped around her in a hug.

"You're limping more than you did yesterday…" Michelle stated and looked up at him.

He swallowed and nodded, "Sore. Not used to walking so much…"

"You could opt for the crutches tonight." Michelle tilted her head and pursed her lips, "Actually, you should do that. You should use your crutches tonight…"

"You think?"

"Rest days are important…" she ran her hands up under his shirt and let them trace around to his back. She let her fingertips meet in the valley made by his long back muscles. Moving her hands up and down his spine she hugged him a little bit closer, "Even for tough guys like you."

Jack winked and leaned down to kiss her. "What do you say? Button down or some band t-shirt?"

"What would you wear if you didn't have me to ask?"

"I don't know, Metallica shirt?"

"Then go with that…"

Jack smirked and started pulling on the hem of his own shirt. His subtle smirk growing into a mischievous grin as he brought the shirt hem up to chest level.

"Attempting to turn me on Dalton?"

"Is it working?"

Flashing a mischievous grin of her own, she tickled his left side. Smiling even wider when he gasped, laughed and cussed all at once.

"Well, it sure is pleasing to look at…" she winked.

"You little monster…" Jack whispered, still chuckling. "That tickled!"

"Well, duh…" she grinned, stretching up to kiss Jack's face. "That was the meaning…"

Glancing over at the clock hanging on the wall, Jack sighed, "We better go… If we want food that is. I mean, both Box and Nick will be there. And a few of the girls' husbands knows how to eat too."

"Okay, but you better have a t-shirt completely on you before we do…" Michelle bit her lip as she looked down at Jack's belt buckle. "Or you know… Don't."

"Nobody wants to see a fifty year old without a shirt on…"

"I do…" Michelle chuckled, "But I do think that most fifty-something year olds can't compare to you."

"Man… I'm old…" Jack winced, "Can we please just pretend I'm 37 or something?"

"Sure…" Michelle smiled up at him, "37 with a few years of experience…"

"A few years of experience being 37?"

Michelle nodded.

"Well, we've gotta go…"

"T-shirt, Jack. T-shirt…"

"Right…" Jack chuckled and pulled the t-shirt he had on over his head, before he headed over to his bag and pulled out a clean one.

 **Okay, just had to…  
Sorry, not sorry!**


	93. Chapter 93

**Okay, first of all, I have to say that I'm sorry for dropping off the face of the earth pretty much all of November. Had some RL situations that just attacked me.**

 **Trust me, I had plans to go all NANOWRIMO last month. But it just didn't happen.**

His mother's 70th birthday was exactly like every other family gathering in his family.

It started with hugs and kisses all around, and Jack made a mental note that there probably wasn't anything that made you feel as at home as when you had your mother's arms wrapped around you in a hug that was destined to crack your spine just a bit.  
-Or when your sister playfully hits your shoulder as she asks you how you're doing.

Being home is silly insults that stem from y'all were kids, it's calling your 51 year old twin brother for a 'missing link' when he tilts a glass over and soaks his jeans. It's four people sitting in a three seat sofa, and you being truly thankful that you managed to snag one of the armchairs instead.

It's your youngest nephews and nieces using your brother and your brother-in-laws as climbing trees

It's seeing the mother of your future child, your future wife, being completely accepted and a real part of your family already. It is barely being able to wait for the day you can get down on one knee in front of her and ask her if she'd be willing to spend the rest of her life with you. Hoping that she was gonna say yes.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Mom… Mom…" Emma whispered and nudged her mom's arm with every repeat. "Mom…"

"Emma, what is it?" Christine asked her youngest one, she was glad she just had two and that there were a few years between them. She did not understand how Mary had handled three in three years and 25 days.

Her youngest one waved her hand to draw her in closer, before she whispered into her ear. "Why does uncle have those sticks with him?"

Christine almost laughed at the confusion in her kid's voice, and decided to lift her up into her lap. "Well, uncle Jack has those sticks because his leg hurts. He injured it a few months back. And those sticks are called crutches."

"Injured?"

"He hurt his leg," Christine explained once she understood that 'injured' wasn't exactly in Emma's vocabulary just yet, but she was impressed that the small kid managed to say it fairly correctly. Her son had been late when it came to speaking clearly, and had been 7 or 8 before everyone understood him easily. Her daughter obviously didn't have the same problems.

"Oh…" Emma's little face took on a thoughtful look, as she repeated, "Injured."

Christine nodded.

"What did he do?" Emma snapped her head up to look straight at Christine again, the sky-blue eyes from her father drilled into Christine's.

"He broke his leg. Like Matt broke his arm last year. Do you remember that?"

Emma shook her head.

"You don't remember when Matt had that cast, that blue thing, around his arm?"

Emma shook her head again.

"Okay, if you put your hand on your elbow and feel, there is something hard under your skin, right?"

Emma tested, and nodded.

"Well, that is bones. And sometimes they can break, and that hurts." Christine explained.

"Why does it break?"

"Sometimes it can be because they land awkward, or because they fall from a high place. Sometimes it can be because something crashes into them at a high enough speed?"

Emma got that really thoughtful frown again, and spent nearly 30 seconds before she looked back up at her mom again and asked, "Mom, is my arm going to break?"

"We don't know stuff like that before it happens, sweetie."

"My leg?"

"Emma, we can't know stuff like that before it happens, if it happens."

"Does it happen to everybody?"

"No. Some people go through all of their life without ever breaking any part of themselves."

"It doesn't happen often?"

"No… But for some people, like uncle Jack, it happens many times."

"Have you ever broken anything?"

"Never…" Christine smiled, "Like I said, it doesn't happen to everyone."

Emma nodded, like she understood, or took this last piece of information into the equation. "Okay, I wanna go play with Thea now…"

"Okay, have fun." Christine smiled as she helped Emma back down to the floor and admired how quickly small kids' focus changed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack was busy enjoying his second cup of coffee when they all heard a knock on the door.

"That's weird, who can that be…" Caroline questioned as she pushed off the chair she was sitting in. "I did a headcount half an hour ago, and everyone that said they were able to come here is here already…"

Jack followed her with his eyes as she made her way towards the hallway. He was curious about who it was knocking on the door.

A few seconds after she had left his sight, he heard a door being opened, one split second of silence then a scream. He was just about to grab his crutches and get up to check it out when the scream morphed into laughter and crying. A sound he had heard more times than he could remember, and he relaxed back down into his seat. While many of the others still needed to check what all the noise was about.

"Oh my… You're… You're home!?" Jack smiled as he heard his mother question the latest arrival to their family get-together, he could still feel his mother's hands, like claws almost, gripping his shoulder as she looked him over back in the days. "Oh, it's so good to finally see you again!"

 _That hug._ Flashed past his memory, the one his mother used to almost assault him with as soon as she had looked him over and confirmed that he didn't come with a 'handle-with-care' sticker on him. He just knew the last person to the party was receiving _that hug_ right now.

"Come in, come in the two of you!"

 _Two?_ Jack furrowed his brows. He expected it to be Tommy standing outside, but now? Tommy wasn't here, but who else wasn't? Had Tommy brought someone with him, someone that his mom knew about, and really adored, or had Jack missed someone not being there? It was possible, when they were all together they were more than 30 people, and they usually moved around a bit too. –But who?

Jack leaned around the back of his chair, curious to see who it was.

 **Okay, I'm gonna cut this off here. (Yep, I'm leaving you hanging. Sorry, not sorry)**

 **On the other hand, I'm sorry for not posting (basically anything) during November. Had a busy month.**

 **I hope I'll be able to post more frequently again now, but we'll see.**


	94. Chapter 94

**Wow, I didn't lose you over the month that I didn't post anything! Thank you!**

 **Now, back to the story.**

It was Thomas, just like he had expected. But Jack felt like slapping himself very hard, in the face when he realized that he had totally missed that Jesse hadn't been a part of the party until now.

Both of his two oldest nephews were standing in the doorway, both in fatigues and carrying a duffle bag.

Jesse stood almost two inches taller than his older cousin Tommy, but Tommy was a bit wider, had a few more pounds of muscle on his frame.

Jack studied his two nephews, Thomas looked like he needed about two months worth of sleep before he was alright, Jesse looked normal.

Jack figured Jesse wasn't a part of the same unit as Thomas, truth be told, he had never expected Jesse to enlist in the first place. And the thought of Jesse in one of the most elite squads out there was just ridiculous. He was a good kid, but not elite material.

"Hey there family… Missed us?" Jesse smiled and set his duffle bag down in the hallway, after a few seconds more of stunned silence he answered his own question, "Of course y'all have!"

Laughter filled the living room and a few of Jack's sisters stepped forward to start the obligatory round of hugs they were all gonna give the 'kids'.

Jack was one of the last to get up and welcome the two latest arrivers.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey Jack…" Tommy drawled and tapped a beer against Jack's shoulder. When Jack took hold of the offered beer, Tommy sat down in the chair next to him.

"Hey kiddo…" Jack smirked and looked at the bottle, ready to twist the cap off.

"I was kinda hoping to get you under four eyes, if you don't mind." Tommy cleared his throat and twisted the cap off of his own beer, then he downed a mouthful of bitter liquid.

"Looks like now's your chance. Backyard football is going on, and as you might imagine I'm not really up for it." Jack smirked and rubbed gently at his thigh. "What's on your mind buddy?"

"…Not kiddo?" Tommy frowned and looked over at Jack, "Are you coming down with something?"

Chuckling Jack leaned back and focused on his nephew, "Judging by how tired you're looking, and I think I do know the reason behind it, I think it would be unfair to call you kiddo right now…"

Thomas shrugged and took another swig of his beer, "Hey, it's gonna be weird if you stop calling me 'kiddo' all of the sudden, alright?"

Jack nodded, "Alright kiddo…"

"Ever feel like the world is just waiting to come down on top of ya?"

Jack clicked his tongue, then nodded. "Yup…"

"This last tour made it feel like I was rode hard and put up wet." Tommy drawled looking at the ceiling, too jittery to meet Jack's eyes, "I honestly feel exhausted, before this tour I thought I had hit rock bottom when it came to energy and…"

When Thomas hadn't finished his words after about a minute Jack figured he might as well share a word that came to mind.

"Feelings?"

Thomas hummed and nodded, "Guess you're right…"

"Well, I'm gonna say two things to ya then kiddo…" Jack took a deep breath, "One of them might help a little bit, the other won't."

"uh-oh…" Tommy snorted in an attempt to keep up his appearance, not that it worked out for him.

"Well, the thing that might help a teeny tiny bit is; everyone feels like this. The thing that won't help at all right now, but I feel like I should still share with you because you're only gonna figure it out the hard way anyway is that it will happen again and again and again…"

Tommy huffed a breath then let his head roll back. "Got any advice on how to deal with it? If you do it might come in handy for me right about now…"

Jack shrugged, "Well, find something to get lost in. A hobby, create something. Just something to distract yourself with…"

Tommy nodded, "Like what?"

"Dunno…" Jack yawned, "Something that _you_ like to do."

"What's your _thing_?"

"I've got a couple of things that I like to spend my time doing…" Jack shrugged, "You see that shelf with all those red photo albums in?"

Tommy followed Jack's finger to where he found a shelf stuffed with red albums. Then he nodded.

"Well, that's one of the things I sometimes do. When I'm not able to walk around freely, you know. Cause that happens."

Tommy nodded, "Kinda like now…"

"Exactly like now…" Jack nodded, "But when I'm not injured in any way, I might find a new project at home, fix up the living room, the kitchen, whatever… That's also a nice way to crawl out of your own head."

Tommy nodded, "I don't have the skills to try something like that."

"Well, only experience I had when I started out was five or six hazardous treehouses."

"Well, still better starting point than mine…" Tommy shrugged, "Made a bird house once, it wasn't pretty in any way, I mean, how do you fuck up a bird house?"

Jack chuckled.

"Well, since we're already on the subject of starting from scratch…" Jack smirked, "Have I told you about the time I managed to break my tail bone?"

"No… What…"

"Well, I broke my tail bone and I messed up my back pretty good by being thrown off a horse that got startled. I landed on a rocky patch and my lower back was NOT a fan of that…"

Tommy nodded.

"Well, I couldn't walk or sit because my back and… uh… my back and butt hurt too much, so I had to stay in bed for a few weeks." Jack swallowed visibly and blushed just a little bit, "I don't know what is worst, -that I learned to knit or that I learned to crochet…"

Tommy chuckled, "You didn't…"

"Oh, I did…" Jack chuckled, "But if you ever tell anybody, namely your siblings or cousins about that…"

"-There'll be hell to pay. Get it…" Tommy chuckled, "Crochet? Really?"

Jack laughed and nodded, "Yup."

"And who knows about it?" Tommy pressed.

"Your mother and the rest of my siblings, mom, -and Box." Jack tallied, "Oh, and the rest of my old unit."

"How about your current coworkers?"

"Aw hell no!" Jack half-drawled, half-laughed, "I've got a reputation to take care of!"

"Seriously? You haven't told it to the blond guy? The one who might as well have been your kid?"

"Mac?"

"Yeah, Mac!" Tommy stared at Jack, "You have to have told him!"

"Well, if you had listened, I said '…Box and the rest of my old unit…' Mac is in under that group too…"

"Mac's a Delta? But he's my age… Isn't he?"

"He's not really a Delta Operator… Our team just had him on our team because he's one of the best damn EODs you would ever meet. And he was a real asset to us. Plus, he kinda became our mascot."

"Okay then…" Tommy chuckled, "You know what?"

"Huh?"

"It's kinda hard picturing Uncle Awesome sitting around crocheting, or knitting…" Tommy teased, "Puts a bit of a dent in the whole 'awesome' scheme…"

"You're only teasing me because you know you can outrun me at the moment, right?" Jack asked as he wrinkled his nose and nodded towards his crutches.

Wiping away moisture from his right eye with one hand and holding the other one across his chest as he laughed, Tommy tried to compose himself.

"Right?" Jack tried again, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Yeah… You're right…" Tommy finally agreed, taking a deep breath to keep from laughing again.

Jack closed his eyes, shook his head and chuckled, "Uncle Awesome, sure has been a long time since I heard that…"

"Well, it's still true. Although the younger ones are just too lame to realize it…" Tommy winked.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Jakc frowned and looked over at Tommy, "You said my current coworkers, and then you just assumed Mac… How did you…?"

"Oh…" Tommy grimaced a bit, "I might have sorta come to the conclusion that you weren't a cop and you weren't a stuntman, and then it wasn't all that hard to get in touch with someone that could provide enough information to kinda confirm a theory I had going…"

"And that was…?" Jack narrowed his eyes at Tommy.

"Well, I… We… A few of the units, we collaborated on a task a few months back. I finally met those two lunatics you mentioned."

"Lunatics?" Jack repeated with amusement.

"Yeah, lunatics. It's obvious that you raised them."

"Raised them?" Jack smirked

"Was their leader for crying out loud!" Tommy ran a hand down over his face, "They're almost as crazy as you are…"

"They talked about their old boss heading over to Langley after one particular mission and then being hand picked by a real secretive agency afterwards." Tommy shrugged, "Two cases of beer to an IT guy later I had pretty much all the info I needed…"

"That's some IT guy…" Jack mused, "I mean, if he managed to figure out where I work and all…"

"No, he didn't figure out that." Tommy shrugged, "But he found enough of the puzzle to figure out what the final picture should be. And that leaves you as an active agent for some James Bond level insane badass agency or foundation."

Jack smirked, "Keep that up and you're either going to end up in a dark cell or as my coworker…"

"Is that a threat?" Tommy asked, worry seeping through his voice just a little.

"No, more of a warning. This shit right here is what will happen to ya, y'know…" Jack drawled and tapped his bottle to his thigh. "But it's still one of the best jobs you can think of, when things go right."

"I imagine…" Tommy nodded, his eyes still locked on Jack's thigh.

 **Alright, hope you enjoyed this. See you soon!**

 **Note: About the crochet/knitting thing, I just tried to find the least likely thing I could imagine Jack doing. -And that was what came to mind. lol.**


	95. Chapter 95

**Okay, you still hanging in there? Or not?**

Michelle watched Jack's family run around the backyard playing football. It was fun to see Theresa tackle Nick with skill. Honestly Michelle would have expected something like that from Rita or even Christine, but not Theresa. Not cute little girlie Theresa who seemed like the personalization of calm and careful.

She watched as Derek, one of Mary's kids, passed the ball to Boxer. A grin spread across her face as no other than Caroline herself stopped him from gaining more than 10 yards or so, before she helped him up from the ground.

She almost couldn't handle the cuteness when 6-year old Jen finally got the ball and 20-something-something Jesse and Ashley acted as human shields to make sure the little girl made it to the end zone. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Nick almost get obliterated by an army of young kids.

She barely noticed it when Jack stepped out on the porch and limped over next to her. She jumped when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Having fun?" he asked as he gathered his crutches on one side and prepared to sit down.

She nodded, "Fun to watch…"

"Yeah, it is…" Jack agreed, "But it's even more fun to play."

"Looks kinda rough." Michelle observed, "Kinda scary…"

She almost felt her heart drop as a small, small, small pained gasp left Jack's lips, "It's not scary, it's just good ol' fashioned fun."

"And you have a first aid SUITCASE standing by." Michelle looked pointedly at Jack, "Isn't a small case enough? Red Cross and Ski Patrols carry around smaller first aid kits!"

Jack bit his lower lip for a second and decided to just wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her closer. "That's just the first aid case we've had since Nick and I was kids…"

"Oh, so that's the reason…" Michelle teased.

"Nah, I guess it's just because we turned into a large household and all the kids in the neighborhood used to come here to play too."

Michelle nodded, "And when was the last time anyone got really hurt at one of these games?"

"Scrapes and bruises, or more serious stuff?"

"More serious stuff. Stuff that puts you out of the game for a few weeks… Or months."

"Last time I can remember was on Nick and mine's fortieth." Jack answered as he placed a kiss on the top of Michelle's head, "I sprained my ankle pretty bad, Box broke a finger."

"So we won't need to call an ambulance by the end of this game…?"

"Prob'ly not." Jack shrugged, "Might need to find some bags of frozen peas to press on some bruises afterwards."

Michelle let her eyes glide across the game before she looked back at Jack, "So… Who's the player to look out for?"

"MVP or most dangerous?" Jack smirked.

"Give me both."

"MVP, either Tommy or Derek. Most dangerous? You don't wanna get tackled by Tessa. That might actually hurt."

"Saw her take down Nick a couple of minutes ago. It looked like he had been hit my a much bigger and heavier player than her."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, she might not be much past 5'5" and 115lbs, but she can pack a punch."

"OUCH! That looked like it hurt!" Jack frowned after Tessa's husband took a hard hit and was left rolling on the ground clutching his arm or elbow.

Michelle nodded, "Maybe we should help… -him."

"Help Jonas? You forgot his name?"

Michelle nodded.

"Nah, give him a minute. He'll get over it." Jack shrugged. He was right too, less than 30 seconds later Jonas was back on his feet and ready to continue playing. "See…?"

Michelle nodded, "So, are you going to join 'em when you're all good again?"

Jack shrugged, "If I get good again, I probably will."

Michelle felt the world skid to a halt for a brief moment, "If…?"

Jack nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"Jack, babe…" Michelle ran a hand through her hair, then wrapped her arms around Jack's bicep, "What's up?"

Jack shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Is everything okay?"

Jack bit his lip and looked up in desperation, before he took a deep breath and looked at her. "I don't think so."

"Okay, then tell me." Michelle pried and ran her fingers over his arm, "What's bothering you?"

Jack shrugged, then looked over at her with tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm not sure I'm gonna get much better…"

"Okay…" Michelle nodded, "Okay, what makes you think that?"

Jack shrugged, "I'm barely making any progress. And it still hurts. And…"

"Babe, you're making lots of progress!" Michelle said squeezing his hand gently, "A few weeks ago you couldn't put any weight on that leg. And yesterday you walked around all day without crutches."

"But I'm back with the cruthches today…" Jack almost sulked.

"Of course!" Michelle sat up straighter and guided his face towards her, "You have barely used that leg for months, and walking around for a whole day is gonna leave you sore as hell! And it's gonna be like that for a while."

Jack shrugged.

"I know it probably feels like you're standing still, but you're not!"

"Feels like I'm going in reverse…" Jack sighed.

"Well, you're not." Michelle said shaking her head.

"But what if I never get totally fine again?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. And that's definitely not now."

"But…"

"Babe, let time take care of it. It'll all work out."

"I don't think it will…" Jack chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"Relax."

"What if I'll never be able to play around with our kid when it gets here?" Jack cleared his voice, "What if I never recover enough to get back in the field? What if I… What if I'm useless?"

"Hey, soldier." Michelle got up and stood in front of him, "First of all, you'll never be useless! And if I have to pound that into your head every day until you're better, I will. It won't be a problem for you to play around with this one, you'll find your pace even if you don't get back to a 100 percent."

"What if I never get back out in the field?"

"I'd like to see the idiot that tries to stop you in a few months…" Michelle chuckled, "Give it time. You're still healing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Michelle nodded and leaned forward to place a kiss on his lips. "You're gonna be alright. Trust me."

Jack nodded and pulled her a little closer to steal another kiss. "I love you…"

"I know." Michelle smiled back, "I love you too."

 **Okay. I'll chop this off here. Because I need sleep and I don't know how to continue this at the moment. –I'll figure something out though.**


	96. Chapter 96

**Let's get back on track. Here's another chapter for you!**

It was the same old schedule as every Dalton family birthday had run on the last fifty-some years. First everyone gathered and chatted for a while. Then it was dinner. Then football. And then dessert or cake.

And with more than 30 people Caroline had baked no less than 7 cakes and pies for the bunch. It was apple pie since that was Missy's favorite. She had brownies since Christine loved brownies. She had carrot cake for Jack. Lemon cake for Rita. Pecan pie for Boxer. Cherry pie for Tessa. And regular chocolate cake because that was what most of her grandkids loved most.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Caroline sat down next to Michelle, "Hey sweetie, how are you doing?"

"Oh, fine…" Michelle smiled gently and placed a hand over her tummy.

"And the little one is treating you fine?"

Michelle nodded, "She's kicking a lot, other than that she's being a little darling."

"That's good." Caroline grinned, "Jack and Nick were also very active when I carried them."

"They were?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes they were."

"So this little girl could end up being as all over the place as her father?" Michelle flashed a nervous grimace.

"Well, I don't know if her being active now is an indicator of how wild she'll become, but it's definitely in her genes…" Caroline chuckled.

"Yes it is…"

"Are you afraid of her becoming wild and reckless like her dad?"

"Well, I'll have to grow some nerves of steel if she does…" Michelle shrugged, "I just don't know if I'm woman enough to handle that just yet."

"Oh, you will be…"

"Are you sure?" Michelle asked, "How did you do it?"

"Well…" Caroline drawled, "I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I prayed that they wouldn't accidentally get themselves killed when I wasn't watching and I hoped that I raised them well enough that they would turn out to be good men."

"Well, they are good men, and they are still alive." Michelle grinned, "You did good."

"Thank you," Caroline smiled, "You will too."

"You sure?"

"Well, from what I've seen and heard about you, you're gonna do great."

Michelle blushed and looked down at her quite round belly, "Honestly, this whole thing scares me a little bit."

"Sweetie, you wouldn't be human if being pregnant with your first child didn't scare the living shit out of you…" Caroline chortled, "It's perfectly normal."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Now, JD…" Nathan, Mary's husband inquired, "How are you feeling about soon being one of the club?"

"What club?"

"The DADD club, Dad's Against Daughters Dating…" Nathan chuckled.

"Honestly, I hadn't thought about that…" Jack swallowed hard, "That's gonna be a problem in like 30 years or so…"

"Not to burst your bubble, but it's gonna start being a problem at 12 or so. And by 16 it's gonna be even worse."

"Well, she's not gonna date until she's 30. At least."

"Good luck with that buddy…" James, Missy's man grinned. "If you're lucky she won't be boy-crazy like Ashley was."

"Still is you mean?" Nathan chuckled.

James nodded, "Trying to live in sweet, blissful, denial over here, Nate."

"James, when has that ever worked out?"

James shrugged, "Pretty close to never…"

Nathan nodded, "But you had it fairly easy with Jo, you were lucky there for a long time."

"Yeah, I was. But looks like that time is long gone." James sighed, "She just got engaged. Let me tell you, I was NOT ready for my little girl getting engaged."

"How old is she now?" Jack shot in.

"She turned 28 a few weeks ago."

"She's getting grown up then…" Jack nodded.

"You'll soon figure out the truth. When you become a father, at least of a girl, you'll understand that your kids will always be kids in your eyes. Doesn't matter if they are 3 or 30… Your baby girl will always be your baby girl." James informed.

"Somebody is gonna get a rude awakening…" Nathan chuckled.

"I bet he's gonna be a wreck withing 3 weeks after the birth." James winked at Nathan.

"I bet you're right…" Nathan nodded, "I won't bet against you…"

"Wise choice…" James nodded.

 **Okay, so… That was it for today. Hope you enjoyed this little chapter too!**

 **FYI, This story has now passed 120k words! WTF happened there?**


	97. Chapter 97

**Hello people!**

It had been a long day. Long hours of lots of people, and Jack was just about drained of energy when they decided to head back to Boxer's house to relax a bit before going to bed.

Boxer had offered that they should take the car, and that he would just hike back to his place. He intended to stay a little while longer.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Are you as tired as I am?" Jack asked as he opened the front door. Nobody in the area used to lock their doors unless they were more than 2 hours away and expected to be there for a whole day or longer.

"I think so…" Michelle yawned and stretched, "I can barely wait to lay down."

"You've got a great point there…" Jack chuckled as he held the door open for Michelle.

"Straight to bed?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"That was my plan."

"Mine too…" Michelle admitted. "But I hope you don't mind a clingy girlfriend… Cause I want to snuggle."

"I can work with that." Jack grinned and winked at her.

"Sure?"

"You know I'm crazy about you, and you know I love being the big spoon whenever you want me to." Jack grinned.

"You like being partially choked by my hair all up in your face?" Michelle chuckled and thought back at other times they had been snuggled up together. And Jack ending up breathing in a mouthful of her light brown curls.

"Well, I love every other part about it. And I'll survive having my mouth filled with your hair." Jack flashed a grin at her, then he tried walking inside without using his crutches.

"Easy there Cowboy!" Michelle sighed and held a hand up, "You're limping too much, you should stay off that leg. Give it some decent rest for once."

"It ain't that bad…"

"You're limping as much as you did a month ago…" Michelle shook her head, "You've been using it way too much the last few days."

Jack nodded, "Yeah… Probably have…"

"Okay. You, bed, NOW." Michelle decided.

"Hey, my leg ain't _that_ bad…" Jack whined.

"Maybe not, but standing around here doesn't go either one of us good." Michelle said as she stole a hug from him, "And I want to turn in."

Jack nodded a few seconds before he relaxed his stance, "Okay, let's go up and crawl to bed."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She smiled as felt Jack help unzip her dress. Then she felt his rough hands slide the fabric off her shoulders, then his lips being pressed against her shoulder.

She felt his arms wrap around her from the back, his large hands almost covering her whole belly. She turned around in his embrace and stood up on her toes to kiss him. He kissed her back.

He pressed her closer, then he let his hands rest above her hips.

She slid two fingers in behind his belt and tugged at it. Her other hand found his belt buckle and fumbled with it for a few seconds. "Should I?"

"Well, if you don't –I will!" Jack tilted his head and grinned even wider when Michelle unbuckled his belt in one swift move.

"How do you feel about this then?" Michelle asked as she ran her hands up his front towards his chest.

"Feels like this t-shirt needs to come off ASAP." He grinned and pulled it over his head.

"Maybe these pants too?"

"Definitely." He nodded, "And that dress, as pretty as it is on you, it would look way better on the floor right now."

"I bet it would…" Michelle grinned, and let her dress fall off her at the same time as she made Jack back up towards the bed.

 **And that's where I'll have to leave y'all this time. See ya!**


	98. Chapter 98

**Okay, I'll go ahead and leave what happened after the last chapter up to your imagination. And I'll just skip ahead to the next morning.**

Boxer sat by the kitchen table with a cup of steaming hot coffee when he heard someone stir awake upstairs. It was an older house, and sound traveled well through it. The sound of crutches against hardwood floor instantly gave it away that it was Jack who was the first one of his guests to get up this morning.

Boxer stood up and found a clean mug from the cupboard, and placed it on the opposite side of the table. Right where Jack used to sit when he stayed there.

About ten minutes later when the crutches had moved to the bathroom, back to the guest room and down the stairs, Jack stepped through the door into the kitchen.

"Holy…" Boxer nearly chuckled, "You look like crap."

"Didn't sleep much…" Jack grumbled, "Is that coffee?"

"You bet," Boxer nodded and stood up to get the coffee pot from the machine, "So, you're not using your leg at all today… Is it bothering you?"

"Yep…" Jack nodded as he hopped over towards his chair, "Think I might have overexerted it a little bit. It's not happy about it."

"Bad enough to take sleep away from you." Boxer frowned, knowing exactly how much his childhood friend could handle.

Jack nodded as he sat down and lifted his right leg up on the chair beside him.

"Already said I didn't get much sleep, didn't I?" Jack grouched as he leaned one elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand.

"Well, good thing I made the coffee exactly how you like it after long missions then…" Boxer said and swirled the liquid around in the pot.

"So strong that you ought to use cutting nippers on it?" Jack asked without looking up.

"-And people say you're not smart…" Boxer teased, earning himself one middle finger standing salute.

"Not really in the mood to joke just yet…" Jack drawled with his eyes closed.

Boxer's shoulders slumped at that. "Hey, I've got some pretty decent painkillers laying around here somewhere, do you need some?"

Jack shook his head, "Already took some. Just takes some time for them to kick in…"

Box nodded, "Anything else you need?"

"Nah…" he shook his head slowly, it was still supported by his hand, "Just need some strong as heck coffee and for these things to start working, then I'll be human again."

"Okay, so…" he paused as he poured up a cup of coffee for Jack, "What about breakfast then… What do you want?"

"Anything…" Jack shrugged, "As long as it isn't charred beyond all recognition."

"-Or sloggy and raw…?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, basically anything that's considered edible by most people."

Boxer nodded, "Eggs?"

"Sure."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Look who's up…" Jack grinned as Michelle came down half an hour later to breakfast that was almost ready. "How's your morning?"

"Great," Michelle smiled and stretched as far as her small frame would allow her, "Yours?"

"Wyatt here came hobbling down on crutches, so not all good I suppose…" Boxer chuckled.

"Hey! Don't sell me out!" Jack swatted after Boxer who was safely out of reach from Jack's arms.

"Hey, she had to notice you getting out of bed anyway! You made a lot of noise using those self-torture devices." Boxer grinned from where he was frying eggs.

"Self-torture devices?" Michelle chuckled.

"Yeah, crutches." Boxer grinned, "Self-torture devices."

"Actually I didn't notice he got up…" Michelle shook her head.

"She sleeps a little deeper than us…" Jack shrugged towards Boxer, "Sometimes even deeper than we did back when we were in high school."

"Sound sleeper in other words." Box nodded, "Lucky gal…"

Jack couldn't help but nod, knowing full well what Boxer was getting at.

"So, fully back on crutches today…" Michelle looked at Jack.

"Yeah, looks like the last couple of days have been a little bit too much." Jack scrounged up his nose, "Had to take a couple of pills."

"That bad, huh?" she walked over and rubbed Jack's shoulder, and he leaned over to press a kiss to her belly.

"It'll pass…" whispered in return, "No big deal…"

"Still feel guilty about it…" Michelle whispered back, low enough that she hoped Boxer wouldn't catch all of it.

"Not your fault…" Jack murmured back as he hugged her close and let his hand run up and down her side. "Had a fun couple of days anyway."

"That's good…"

"Might need some rest for a week or two though." Jack answered as he rubbed his thigh gently, "Take it easy, you know."

Michelle nodded, "Of course."

"Find a chair that Jack's not occupying, and sit down." Boxer grinned, "Hope you like eggs."

Michelle nodded and took the chair on the end of the table, "Thank you Boxer. Looks good."

"One of the few things you can't mess up…" Boxer shrugged.

"Oh, it's possible to mess up fried eggs too…" Michelle chuckled.

"Don't tell him how, or he'll start doing that from now on." Jack chuckled.

"Okay, I won't…" Michelle smirked.

"Jack, why don't you have any confidence in my culinary abilities?" Boxer teased.

"Well, burnt toast Thursdays were a thing because of you…" Jack shrugged, "Every Thursday football practice, that guy would make toasts before the practice, he burnt them every damn time."

"Not every time…"

"Most of the time." Jack countered.

"Hey, let's eat instead of fuzzing over that, right?" Michelle shrugged, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry."

"Yeah, let's eat…" Jack nodded as Boxer chuckled. "And to be honest, he can cook a bit…"

"Hey, I remember the last time we visited…" Michelle nodded, "Everything tasted just fine!"

"Thank you…" Boxer smiled, "Alright, dig in!"

 **Okay, I'll leave this here for you. Hope you enjoyed!**


	99. Chapter 99

**Okay, I figured I needed to skip ahead a bit again. Because I was getting bored with it.**

 **This chapter is July 1** **st** **2018\. Alright?**

"You need any help with that?" Michelle asked as she walked up behind Jack and wrapped her arms around him as he tried to get the knot right on his tie.

"Maybe a little bit…" Jack admitted as his cheeks reddened a little bit. "These things always end up looking like when a 4 year old learns to tie his shoes for the first time…"

Michelle chuckled and motioned for Jack to turn towards her. "You excited?"

"For my brother getting hitched?"

Michelle nodded.

"Somewhat…" Jack nodded and smiled down at Michelle as she started tying his tie for him. "It's good to know he's found someone for him."

Michelle nodded, "They're cute together…"

"Not half as cute as us though…" Jack smiled as he bent down to place a kiss on her forehead. "And that's JUST because I have you on my team."

"I don't know, I think you're pretty cute too…" Michelle smiled and wrapped an arm around his back to pull him a little closer. "But now, could you maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Jack smirked.

"Maybe help me with the zipper…" Michelle winked, then she pulled a small grimace, "As sure as it will zip…"

"Well…" Jack bit down on his thumb, trying to hide his smile that way, "This one is either not gonna fit, or it won't be comfortable for you…"

"It's gonna be too tight?"

"With that cute baby bump you've got going, I'll go ahead and assume that." Jack chuckled as he zipped the dress up as far as it would go, which wasn't very far.

"Damn it, it fit four weeks ago…"

"Darlin'…" Jack started, "You're what? 7 months pregnant?"

"Turned 8 months yesterday…" Michelle smiled and placed her hand on her bump.

"8 months, okay." Jack grinned, "You knew you would get bigger faster towards the end of this, right?"

Michelle nodded, "Just didn't expect to grow this fast…"

"Well, you look awesome either way."

"Thanks!" she smiled and pressed herself against him, "Guess I'll have to go for the backup dress now."

"Alright, which one is that?"

"I've got a light blue dress with a lot of stretch in it, the one with flowers along the edge of the skirt. It's in my suitcase."

"Oh, that one!" Jack nodded, "You should wear that, you look amazing in that one!"

"Okay, give me three minutes." Michelle winked.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle held Jack's hand as they walked from their hotel room to the elevator.

"You look amazing." Jack smiled, tilting his head towards her.

"You look pretty handsome yourself mister." she murmured back and squeezed his hand.

"Love you."

"Love you too…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So, feeling a bit better little brother?" Missy asked as soon as she met him. She looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his legs for a little while longer than she spent on studying the rest of him.

Jack nodded, "What made you think that?"

"Well, for one you ain't using crutches." Missy smiled, "How is it feeling?"

"Feels mostly normal." Jack nodded absentmindedly, before he flashed a proud grin, "My physical therapist have allowed me to jog a little."

"That's great!"

Jack nodded, "Well, I'm nowhere near the speed I was used to. You can barely call it jogging, but it's more than walking. And it's definitely more than hopping along on crutches."

"Everything is better than nothing." Missy smiled, "And from what Nick described from your birthday. You could barely move back then."

"Yeah." Jack nodded and looked down towards his right leg. "It was really bad back then."

"Still have bad days?"

Jack shrugged one shoulder, "Have days where it's difficult not to limp very obviously. But they are getting fewer and more far between."

"That's great kid." Missy smiled and bumped her fist into the front of Jack's shoulder.

"You're about the only one who ever calls me kid anymore."

"Me and mama…" Missy smirked.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, she does it too…"

Missy smiled and turned to find Michelle with her eyes. She was currently chatting it up with Tessa and Caroline a couple of yards over.

"Looks like we'll soon have some new kid to call 'kid'." Missy smirked and winked towards Jack, "You two ready for it?"

"No." Jack chuckled, "Well, maybe Michelle is, but I'm insanely close to freaking out. Think, me with a kid."

"You'll do just fine little brother…"

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence." Jack smiled.

"Hey, we both grew up with lots of younger siblings, I know you're great with kids."

Jack nodded and a subtle smirk captured his lips, "Thanks sis."

"Hey, just telling it like it is here…" she smiled, "Now, go and be cute with that lady of yours. All our aunties and cousins are talking about the two of you."

Jack winked, "Alright."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It was a beautiful ceremony. Anna looked fantastic in her white gown, Nick looked great in his suit and tie. The bridesmaids wore pastel purple and the groomsmen had matching ties.

Jack looked over at Michelle and saw that she had tears welled up in her eyes. He wouldn't quite admit that he was suffering from the same thing. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and felt a smile tug on his lips when she leaned in closer.

Then he looked to the other side and saw his mama soaking a handkerchief in tears. Just like she had done during the weddings his sisters had had, and just like she probably would do when his rolled along too.

He sniffled and wiped away some tears with the back of his hand.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The priest pronounced them husband and wife, Nick kissed his bride.

Jack on his hand sneaked in a kiss on top of Michelle's head, while she squeezed his hand.

"Are you going to make an honest woman out of me soon?" Michelle whispered into Jack's ear, before placing a kiss on his jaw.

"Maybe…" Jack smirked back, "Well, as sure as you'll let me…"

"I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that…" Michelle grinned, "I love you, you know…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I know. And you know I love you too."

Michelle nodded, "I know."

 **Yeeeeeaaahh… Well. Since I know absolutely nothing about weddings, that's all you'll get from this one.**

 **I'll try to up my game the next time…**


	100. Chapter 100

**Here we are, the 100** **th** **chapter. Hope you'll enjoy this one.**

Jack went through his morning workout routine. Right now it consisted of walking ½ a mile, then jogging at a rather slow pace back. Then he went through a bunch of exercises his physical therapist had ordered him to do at least twice a day.

It was all simple things, or at least things that _should_ be simple. Things like standing up and sitting down on a kitchen chair without something to hold on to. Stuff like bending his knee and lifting his foot up behind him. Small stuff like that. Hard as hell when your thigh had been shot to hell less than a year previous.

The last thing his therapist had added to the list was to get up and down from his knees. That exercise still had his breath hitching. But it was still his favorite exercise thus far. And especially on this 4th of July.

Then after the strength exercises he jogged out to the point where he turned around at the start, and kept on jogging back as far as he was able to. His record at the moment was 1/3 of the way back from the turning point before he had to give in and walk the rest.

Then it was on to the rest of the day, he had big plans for the day. Big plans!

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He got back home and opened the front door to his house. It smelled of breakfast, and he instantly knew that Michelle hadn't followed his request to just stay in bed and relax until he got back and could make breakfast for the two of them.

"Hey soldier…" her warm voice danced through the hallway, "Was it a good workout?"

"Yeah…" Jack grinned as he came to the open kitchen door, "It was a great one. Think I need a shower though…"

"You do look like you need one…" Michelle chuckled, "Breakfast is ready in 10 minutes…"

"Okay, quick shower then…" Jack grinned, "You do know I planned on making breakfast today, right?"

Michelle nodded, "But I wanted breakfast muffins. So…"

"So you made breakfast either way…" Jack smiled.

"Yeah." Michelle winked as she started to rinse a bowl she had used to make the batter in.

"Okay, I'll be in the shower…" Jack nodded as he started to push off from the door frame.

"Hey. Give me a kiss before you go in there!"

"Yes ma'am…" Jack's grin widened even more before he headed over to oblige her request.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack trimmed his beard and washed quickly. Then he dried himself and tied the towel around his hips. He turned off the fan, then he lifted the cover off the fan itself and took out a small box he had hid safely inside the fan, then he placed the cover back where it belonged and headed towards their bedroom.

He picked out a pair of jeans he knew Michelle liked him in, and a light colored, short sleeve, button down. It would fly right under the radar of too dressed up. It would be looked at as a casual outfit, even though it was a little bit on the fancier side of what could be found in his closet.

He got himself dressed, still proud and pleased with the fact that he no longer needed to sit down to get on his underwear, pants or socks. He chose a belt, and thread it through the belt loops of his jeans, then he allowed himself a glance at the man in the mirror.

"That'll do…" he smirked to himself, before he turned around and picked up the small box from his nightstand and shoved it into his pocket.

Then he picked up the damp towel and headed into the laundry room. Then he headed back to the kitchen to eat breakfast with Michelle.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Look at you!" Michelle smiled, "What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's 4th of July…" Jack shrugged, barely containing the sneaky smirk that threatened to display all across his face, "And you already wore a dress so I figured that I might as well put on some nice clothes too."

"Alright…" Michelle smiled as she took two plates out of the cupboard, "Will you get the tray out of the oven for me?"

"Sure thing, darlin'." Jack winked, "Where's the…" he trailed off as he stood and gripped thin air, mimicking what he tried to find the word to.

"Here…" Michelle chuckled and handed him a pair of pot-holders.

"Thank you!" Jack smiled before he opened the door to the oven, lifted the hot tray out and placed it on top. "Smells delicious."

"Thanks." Michelle smiled, "Since you've lived here in LA for a few years, do you have any particular plans for celebrating the 4th of July here?"

Jack nodded, "I might have a few plans. If you haven't planned anything already."

"Okay, what are those?"

"Well, if my leg was a 100 percent and you weren't very pregnant, I would have suggested we hiked up to Mount Lee and watch from the Hollywood sign, or the Baldwin Hills. But… I don't think that's the perfect option for tonight."

Michelle nodded, "Let's save that for next year or something…"

Jack nodded, "We could watch the fireworks from Santa Monica beach or something. Maybe the Griffith Observatory. Both will probably be packed with people, but… It's options…"

"The beach sounds nice." Michelle smiled, "Any other plans?"

"Well, since it obviously doesn't help to tell you that I plan on making breakfast, it probably won't matter if I tell you that I would like to make dinner for us either… So how about we go out to eat?"

"Where?" Michelle smiled.

Jack shrugged, "What do you want to eat today?"

"Cotton candy." Michelle chuckled, "I don't know…"

"Well, looks like I'll have to be the adult one here and remind you that cotton candy ain't dinner…" Jack grinned, "But does it mean you're not on a healthy food curve today."

Michelle giggled and nodded, "Yeah, anything's good. As long as it's considered unhealthy."

"You want fries?"

Michelle nodded, "Lots of fries!"

"Okay…" Jack smirked, "Burger then?"

Michelle nodded, "And milkshakes."

Jack chuckled, "I should have suspected that when you said you wanted fries… Alright. Burgers, fries, milkshakes."

"What are you planning? The best 4th of July ever?" Michelle tilted her head a little bit to the side.

Jack shrugged, "I was hoping to do something like that… Is it working?"

"It sure looks like it is…" Michelle nodded.

"Good." Jack smiled and stepped over to kiss Michelle on her lips. "Alright, let's eat…"

Michelle nodded and sat down on her chair as Jack lifted some breakfast muffins out of the tray and placed them on a plate that he set down on the table.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The day flew by. Breakfast at home, lunch from a food truck, dinner at a small diner they both liked very much. They had been to a 4th of July parade and had stopped by Mac and Bozer for some cake before they headed to the place they were now.

Santa Monica beach, or well… Technically they were on the pier.

"What are you trying to get me to do now?" Michelle looked at all the rides there, "You know I shouldn't be on ANY of these…"

"Except for one." Jack winked at her, "I promise, it will be just as safe as standing here on the ground…"

"Wha…?"

"The Ferris Wheel." Jack chuckled.

"It's either going to be closed right now, or there will be way too long a line."

"Trust me, neither will be a problem for us…"

"Why?" Michelle chuckled, "You bribe the guard or something?"

Jack shrugged, "More like saved his life at one point. He kinda owes me a few favors…"

Michelle let out a short chuckle, before she nodded. "Okay. You want to elaborate on that?"

"On the favor? Or when I saved him?"

"Preferably both…"

"You'll see what the favor is pretty soon, and we can take the other thing another day…"

"Going all superspy on me again, Soldier?"

Flashing a cocky grin he turned towards her and nodded, "And right now I have one very important mission."

"You're weird, you know that?" she smiled.

"Oh, I know." Jack chuckled, "All a part of my charm, right?"

"Right," she smiled back as Jack led them the last couple of yards towards a college-aged man with suit pants, a nice shirt and a vest that matched the pants.

"Ah, Mr. Dalton, Miss Sawyer…" the young-ish man greeted them.

"He knows my name?"

Jack chuckled, then nodded, "Yeah, he does."

"Would the party like to have the Ferris wheel stopped for a couple of minutes to view the fireworks?" the man asked with an anticipating smirk.

"Yes please," Jack nodded, "But we want to be down on the ground again before you start shooting up stuff here."

"Yes, of course sir." The man nodded, "Step right this way…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"How did you…?"

"Saved his life once…" Jack chuckled as the Ferris wheel started moving, "He got caught up in some drug mess because of some poor choices when it came to friends."

Michelle nodded, "Wow, look at that!" she grinned and pointed towards a dazzling explosion in the distance.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, ain't it great?"

She nodded, "This must be the best place to watch the fireworks from in all of LA."

Jack shrugged, "Well, as long as they don't shoot up any right here…"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, would have liked some bulletproof walls before that…"

"Yeah, but we're only gonna be up here to catch the ones in the distance. We'll be safely on the ground again when they start up here." He smiled and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her gently towards her.

"I love you…" she whispered.

"I know…" Jack smiled, "I love you too…"

"I know…" she replied and leaned a little closer to him before they shared a kiss.

They barely noticed when the wheel started moving again and they returned down.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Did you have a nice ride?" the Ferris wheel operator asked once they stepped out of the tub and onto his platform.

Jack nodded, "It was great, thanks man!"

"It was lovely! Thank you…" Michelle smiled as she wrapped her arms around Jack's right arm.

"Do you have any recommendations for what a couple might do next?" Jack asked the man with a grin splitting his face.

"Well, I've heard that being right by the water edge is a great way to catch the fireworks." The man winked and bowed down to fetch something from behind his desk, "Of course one might want a blanket and a picnic basket if they want to sit down though."

"…Jack?" Michelle started as she looked between the two men in slight confusion, "What's all this?"

"Thanks Jeremy."

"No problem, Jack!" the man obviously named Jeremy grinned back.

"We're celebrating the 4th of July, that's all…" Jack looked down at Michelle and chuckled, "Come on, let's go find a spot before they start lighting up the sky here too!"

"Alright…" Michelle nodded, "What is all this?"

"Already told ya…" Jack chuckled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Target is in position. I repeat, target is in position."

"Wait, I don't have eyes on yet." a second voice shot in over the coms.

"Target is approximately 350 meters north-west of the pier. Target is right by the water." The first voice described, "Optic Falcon, what's your status?"

"I have eyes on, still a little too far out to be in position yet."

"That's good, Optic Falcon." The first voice was back on, "Desert Fox, do you have eyes-on?"

"Negative, Tree Climber." Desert Fox replied, "Wait, I see the target. I have eyes on. I am in location in 5-4-3…"

"Desert Fox, tap your mike twice if you're in position."

There was two short taps delivered over the radio .

"Okay, Tree Climber…" the second voice came back on, "What's your status?"

"All set and ready to go. Now we wait for the sign."

"Copy that Tree Climber."

Jack could barely keep his face straight as he listened to the radio chatter. He should have known his friends would go full out on this. But he did not expect _those_ call signs.

Tree Climber, that had obviously been Bozer's voice. And if Jack had to guess, the guy had climbed up into a tree or some other high place and sat there with binoculars and a radio. Bozer had probably also been the one to pick out the code names.

Desert Fox. Mac. Easy. Jack wasn't exactly sure why Bozer would have picked Desert for him, maybe because he had been in the sandbox, maybe because they were on a beach right now…? But he knew the reason Fox was in there, cunning like a fox.

Optic Falcon. Judging by the voice, that had to be Riley. Although Jack didn't exactly understand why that call sign would have been chosen either. Okay, maybe…? No.

And what would Matty's call sign be?

Actually, he didn't quite understand why they had bothered picking call signs in the first place either. He rolled his eyes at the thought, then he looked away from the fireworks and down at Michelle who was watching the show intently.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He let go of Michelle's shoulders and stretched his arms over his head. The so called signal.

He dug his right hand into his pocket and came up with the small box.

Then he tapped Michelle's shoulder and took a step or two backwards as she turned around to look at him.

With a nervous smile he took a small step forward again and sank down on one knee. He opened the box as she still stood there in shock, took a deep breath…

"Michelle Sawyer…" he smiled, his heart was racing like he was in some hot-zone with a scope locked on him. He cleared his voice and started over again. "Michelle Sawyer. The happiest future I can think of is with you. Do you want to grow old together with me? Raise a few babies and a little hell along the way?"

His heart was hammering in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was because he had just proposed or if it was because of the loud fireworks above them.

Colors flashed over their heads. Bright white, warm red, blue and green, pink, purple, yellow.

It felt like forever from when he asked and until she nodded. But she did.

"YES!" Michelle grinned, "Yes, I want to grow old with you!"

"So you'll marry me then?" he asked for good measure, and she nodded again as she got down on her knees right in front of him to kiss him.

"Of course I want to marry you!" she smiled, her eyes sparkling as their arms wrapped around each other for another kiss.

When they pulled apart from the kiss, Jack used his chance to take out the ring and place it on her ring finger. It fit perfectly there.

"Wow, I love it!" Michelle grinned as she brought her hand up to study it.

"I love it that you said yes," Jack grinned, "You won't believe how nervous I've been!"

Michelle laughed at that, "You were nervous?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I just asked the most beautiful girl I know of to marry me. Of course I was nervous."

"You do stuff like jumping out of planes for a living…" Michelle chuckled as she looked into Jack's eyes.

"Hey, jumping out of planes is something I've done a bunch of times. This is the first time I've ever asked someone to marry me." Jack reasoned, "And I love you."

"-And I love you." Michelle chuckled, "Do you need any help back up?"

Jack shook his head, "I'm good…" he smiled as he watched Michelle get up off her knees.

"Sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Jack smiled, but didn't quite mask the grimace that twinged his features as he stood back up, "I'm good." He repeated before Michelle had time to worry about it.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Optic Falcon, Desert Fox, status?"

"Tree Climber, this is Optic Falcon. Mission accomplished, I was successful in securing video of the event without being noticed."

"Desert Fox here, mission is successful, but request to stay behind another minute."

"Copy that Optic Falcon. Desert Fox, Mama Hen will be waiting with the engine running when you're ready."

"Copy that Tree Climber."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack smiled as he imagined the surprise on Michelle's face on their wedding day when she would wrap open a gift with no name on it and find pictures of the proposal.

He wrapped his arms around Michelle's shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He moved one of his hands up to support the back of her head as he kissed her passionately, she moved her hands up to frame his face. He cupped her chin with his other hand.

"Love you." She whispered.

"You too." He whispered back with a smile, "Now and for the rest of my life!"

 **Okay, hope you enjoyed this. Have a nice day!**

 **Nice way to celebrate the 100th chapter, right?**


	101. Chapter 101

**Okay, so… Here's another chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy it!**

The next morning Michelle woke up with one of Jack's arm around her. She smiled and draped one arm over Jack's left arm. He stirred a little, but didn't wake up.

She extended her fingers and studied the ring yet another time. It was perfect in her eyes. A simple, elegant, ring with one small stone. It wasn't flashy, but neither was she. She loved it.

She let her hand fall back against Jack's forearm and started rubbing gentle circles with her thumb. It didn't take long before she felt his hand starting to do the same against her belly.

"Mornin' Darlin'…" Jack drawled his chin moving gently against the top of her head, "How you feelin'?"

"Great," Michelle murmured, "And you?"

"Haven't really tested yet…" Jack answered before he moved his legs a bit and winced slightly, "Think I'll have a slow day today, but not too bad. You working today?"

Michelle nodded, "Hoping for a quiet day though…"

She felt Jack nod against her head, "Want me to tag along?"

"You don't have to, you could probably use a little rest today. We walked a lot yesterday…"

Jack nodded again, "Yeah… We did… But I could get all the rest I need while hanging out at medical with you…"

"Nah…" Michelle chuckled, "I think the couch will be a better option for you. I'll be just fine, and you know it… You don't need to start that overprotective streak I've heard all about, and witnessed a few times too, just yet. Okay?"

"Okay…" Jack yawned, "Just don't… Don't do too much, alright?"

"That. Coming from you… That's almost comical." Michelle chuckled, before she also yawned, "Damn, that's contagious…"

Jack snickered, "Yeah. Hey, what do you say? Breakfast? I could fry us some eggs or something… Maybe even blend a smoothie for my beautiful fiancée…"

"Sounds really tempting, but didn't you just say that you were going to have a slow day?"

She felt Jack shrug behind her, when he didn't come up with a final answer she hummed a questioning tone as she tried to twist around to look at him.

"I said that…" he admitted, "But that doesn't mean that I'm not up for the simple task of making breakfast. Just, you won't see me walkin' around all day and doing stuff…"

"You don't walk around all day anyway…" Michelle chuckled.

"Exactly…" Jack smirked, "But I think I'll walk around even less than I've done lately. After I get done with today's workout…"

"Okay, just remember, there's no shame in using crutches if you need to…"

"Darlin'… It's not that bad…"

"Okay, just don't make it worse than it is. Deal?"

"Who has an overprotective streak now?" Jack chuckled and propped himself up on one elbow, "It ain't that bad babe…"

"If you say so Love…" Michelle smiled and twisted around to steal a kiss, "Love you… Fiancé…"

"Love you too, my dear fiancée…" Jack winked, "Okay, I'll go get breakfast started now. You enjoy a few more minutes here in bed, 'kay?"

Michelle nodded, and Jack untangled himself from her and pushed himself to a sitting position. Grabbed a t-shirt and a denim shorts, got dressed and headed out of the bedroom.

 **Okay, I know this was a short chapter, sorry… But it was sorta sweet wasn't it? Okay, have a nice day or night or whatever!**


	102. Chapter 102

**Hello again! Hope you're not getting tired of me just yet!**

 **Let's skip ahead, shall we?  
Say… August 10** **th** **or something…**

"Any day now…" Jack smirked as he walked into the bedroom, and found Michelle studying her outfit in the full length mirror, obviously annoyed by the perception that nothing fit her anymore.

"Sure hope so!" she scrounged up her nose, "I look like a cow and a beached whale got together and had a baby. No, actually… That doesn't make it justice. I look like a beached whale and a mammoth had a lovechild. I'm the whamoth…"

Jack had to bite his tongue not to laugh at the mental picture that popped up in his mind, but shook his head. "No Darlin'…"

"I'm a total whamoth." Michelle glared up at him, "Don't lie to me."

Not able to bite back his laughter anymore, he chuckled and shook his head again. Then he straightened up and looked at her with a serious expression, "Darlin', you don't look like a whamoth…"

That was as far as he made it without breaking into laughter a second time around.

"See? I'm a whamoth. And I look ridiculous!"

Sobering up once again, Jack shook his head. "No. The only thing that's ridiculous here is the cross between a whale and a mammoth."

"You were laughing at me…" Michelle pouted.

"No…" Jack shook his head, then his lips curved upward as he fought not to laugh again. "No… You look beautiful, and I would not laugh at you because you think you look like this or that. But you do know that I tend to think in pictures. And I'd like to see you trying to imagine how the cross between a mammoth and a whale would look like without cracking up. Hell, even the name you made up for it is ridiculous… Just try to imagine how a real whamoth would look like…"

Michelle's frown morphed into a light chuckle, then she nodded. "Okay, you're right. It's ridiculous."

"See?" Jack nodded.

"But I do look ridiculous as well! I mean, I'm about as wide as I am tall!"

"No you're not." Jack shook his head.

"Okay, I might actually be wider than I am tall." Michelle glared at her own reflection.

"Nope, and don't challenge me on this. I will find a ruler and prove it to you. You're much taller than you're wide." Jack rolled his eyes as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"None of my clothes fit like they should…"

"I think you look fantastic."

"I look like I have an overinflated beach ball under my clothes all the time." Michelle sighed.

"You're cute." Jack smiled and placed a kiss on top of her head.

"I just want this to be over…" Michelle shook her head, "I'm tired of feeling like I should have a 'wide load' sign attached to me."

"Hey, less than a month to go… Right?"

She nodded, "Feels like an eternity…"

"Are you excited to meet her?" Jack murmured, resting his chin on the top of her head.

She nodded, "Of course… You?"

He nodded too, "A little terrified though…"

"Terrified?" Michelle almost chuckled, "It's hard to imagine that you're scared of something this small, I mean… You've seen the worst of humanity."

"I'm terrified of screwing up…" Jack admitted with a nervous chuckle, "Just imagine if our kid turns out half as anything as me…"

"Half as tough as you, half as strong as you, half as witty as you… I think we would be lucky…" Michelle grinned as she placed her head against his chest.

"Half as reckless as me, half as adrenaline seeking as me, half as short tempered as me… We're screwed."

"You don't have a short temper…"

"Oh, I do…" jack chuckled, "I just leave it at work…"

Michelle shook her head gently, "Pretty sure she's gonna be perfect…"

"Of course… She's got something of you in her…" Jack grinned, "She'll be perfect."

 **Okay, that's another chapter down!**


	103. Chapter 103

**Hello dear! Hope you'll enjoy this. First I have to mention that this story has turned into a literal beast. I've passed 127k words… That's like… A lot…**

They were both counting the days. Both were looking forward to the day they could call themselves parents, both were anxious.

Michelle would say that Jack handled it worst. He was pacing around all the time. Not finding the peace to sit down and relax for more than minutes at time.

"Jack… Relax…" She smiled, "It's still a week to go…"

Not stopping his mission of walking a furrow in the floor, Jack looked over at her, "It's just a week left!"

"Yeah, and the sky isn't falling down on top of us…" Michelle chuckled as she pulled her legs up on the couch in front of her. "We're ready…"

"Ready?" Jack stopped his pacing for a short minute, "I'm not ready, I'm going to be a dad! I'm nowhere near where I should be at this point in my life! I don't have all my shit together. I don't know if I'll be able to teach the kid anything when it gets old enough to learn anything… I'm not ready to be a dad."

"Okay, you know that this is you being irrational, right?" Michelle asked as she crossed her arms in front of herself, "Why don't you feel like you're ready?"

Jack was just about to answer when Michelle cut him off, "Be specific."

Jack's mouth opened and shut a few times as he searched for his words, "I'm not gonna be a perfect dad. I'll screw up most of the time. By the time the kid is 5 I'll probably have scarred it mentally by showing up here with horrible looking injuries, or you'll have had to bring her to the Phoenix's medical bay because I screwed up and almost got myself killed!"

"First of all, you've been doing this kind of thing for decades. And you've been doing it well, for decades." Michelle looked up at him, "We both know that you'll get back into the game after you're cleared for duty again, and…"

" _IF_ I get cleared for duty…" Jack grouched and cast a dirty look down towards his right leg.

"A day of doubt?"

Jack sighed, then nodded.

"Does it hurt bad?"

"No, it just feels wobbly…"

"Wobbly?" Michelle frowned, "You haven't mentioned that before…"

"It's nothing big…" Jack dropped his head, "It's just feels a bit weaker than I think it should…"

"Weaker than it should be, or just weaker than YOU think it should be…?"

Jack shrugged, "Weak…"

"Does it give out? Does it sting? Does it-…" Michelle fell silent and one of her hands went to her belly.

Jack looked up when she didn't continue her question. When he saw her holding her stomach with a confused frown firmly in place.

"You good?"

Michelle nodded, without looking up at Jack.

"Hey, you good?" Jack asked again as he made his way over to her, placing one hand on her knee and one on her shoulder. "You good?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm good…" Michelle nodded, "Just a small contraction…"

"Contraction?" Jack's eyes went wide, "Contraction like BIRTH?"

"No…" Michelle chuckled, "Braxton Hicks…"

"What?"

"Braxton Hicks, it's a type of contraction. It doesn't mean labor. It's more like warm up." Michelle offered a small smile, "I've had them every now and then for a few weeks."

She watched as Jack climbed up in the sofa, practically sitting on his right knee on the couch, something that sure had to be painful for him. He moved his left hand over to her belly, not caring to hide his frown.

"It's totally normal." Michelle promised.

"Your belly is completely hard…"

"Normal…" Michelle repeated.

"You haven't mentioned it before…" Jack said as he looked down at his own hand. "Your belly softened…"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, they pass. And I haven't mentioned it because it's been going on for weeks, and it started out like basically nothing."

"That didn't feel like it felt like nothing…" Jack said as he rubbed his hand over her belly, "That felt like it would really hurt…"

"More like they're uncomfortable." Michelle shrugged, "But this was one of the stronger ones…"

"Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Laughing, Michelle shook her head, "No, not yet…"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure…" she nodded, "I'll let you know if that changes though."

"Okay…" Jack nodded, before he leaned in for a quick kiss. Then he stood back up with a groan, his right hand automatically going for his thigh."

"Well, we don't have to go to the hospital unless you need to go there for a visit…" Michelle added in a slightly accusing tone as she tilted her head to look up at him.

"Nah…" Jack chuckled, "No need for that. Just realizing that I need to up my stretching game."

"Okay." Michelle nodded, "You're sure that wobbliness you mentioned isn't something to worry about…?"

"Yeah, it's been like that since I was allowed to put weight on it again." He nodded, "It just isn't healing as fast as I'd like… That's all…"

 **Okay, that was another chapter down. Hope you enjoyed!**


	104. Chapter 104

**So… Here comes another chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it.**

It was a quarter past noon in Kabul when his phone buzzed. It was his day off, per se. All he had done today was eating breakfast, working out and drinking water. Lots of water.

His phone giving any kind of notification was a seldom occurrence, and it immediately caught his attention. Rolling off his bunk he covered the short distance to the makeshift table. He and Dunc had made sure to keep the tradition going with 'borrowing' different kinds of everything and using it in their tents or barracks. And right now their table was an empty wooden crate that once had been filled with 5.56x45mm rounds for their rifles.  
It made the random locations they lived at feel a little more home-ish. Neither of them really knew where or when that tradition had started in their unit. But they both suspected it was the trio they both viewed as the 'original' team of Delta's. Jack, Boxer and Charlie. But in all fairness, it could be a much older 'tradition' than so.

Picking up his phone and quickly unlocking it with the fingerprint scanner, Cooper saw the little icon halfway up in the left corner telling him that Jack had just sent him a message. He tapped the icon and tried to overlook all the excited spelling errors the message came with.

A smile grew on his lips as he got past the first few sentences.

"Hey, Lurch! Why is that thing happening with your face?" Duncan called as he threw the baseball he had lazily been tossing in the air for a while at Cooper. "It kinda looks like you're having some kind of seizure…"

"You know…" Cooper rolled his eyes, "I'm allowed to smile every now and then…"

"Oh, so that's what you're calling it now!" Duncan chuckled, "I thought I was the one with facial disfiguration here. I'm not all that sure anymore…"

"Hah… Good one." Cooper nodded and finger-gunned his long-time best buddy.

"What is it? It's definitely not another difficult mission if you actually look excited…"

"No, it's not a mission. We're not dressing up in TAC gear today…" Cooper smirked.

"Okay so nothing to stress about then?" Dunc asked as he sat up in his bunk.

"Nothing for _US_ to stress about…" Cooper smiled, still reading the message.

"-But…"

"Someone's stressed."

"Okay?"

"Someone's VERY stressed…" Cooper chuckled.

"Just tell me what it is then, for crying out loud!"

"Well, there's three lines of exclamation marks and about fourteen different emoji's…"

"Jack?"

"How'd you know it was one of our favorite Texans?" Cooper chuckled, "What gave it away?"

"Oh, you know…" Duncan shrugged, he still hadn't actually seen the message, and didn't know what it was about. "Probably the spotless spelling, I'm not sure…"

Cooper let out a short laugh.

"What's the funniest error?"

"Your face." Cooper shot instantly, looking away from the screen to shoot a playful wink at his buddy.

"Your face is the error, in case you've never seen a mirror…" Dunc rolled his eyes as he pushed off his bunk. "What's the message, and why does it take you this long to read it?"

Cooper chuckled and shrugged as Duncan moved closer, ready to read over the other man's shoulder.

"Nah-ah…" Coop held up a finger and tilted the screen enough that Duncan wouldn't be able to see it.

"Come on, man…" Dunc grumbled as he gave the taller Delta a good shove in the shoulder. "Lemme see!"

"Nah…" Coop grinned and held the phone out of Dunc's reach. "I'm reading."

"Well, what happened? Did you suddenly turn dyslexic? You're taking forever!"

"I'm not dyslexic…" Coop shook his head, "But I have a sneaking suspicion the one that wrote the message is. So…"

"Dude, you're killing me here!" Dunc gave a frustrated scowl before he tried to jump to grab the phone out of Coop's hand.

"Too late!" Cooper teased as he expertly dodged Dunc's attack.

"Now I just have to see it!" Dunc frowned and jabbed a few fingers into Coop's ribs, hard enough to make the taller operator flinch from discomfort, but not enough to make any damage.

"Nah…"

"You're sure you're not an older brother?" Duncan asked trying once more to get to the phone, "Cause you act like an annoying older brother!"

Cooper laughed, "Are you mad since you can't reach the phone shorty?"

"You can't call anyone who's above 6 feet any variation of 'short'!" Duncan almost growled, "Paul freaking Bunyan!"

"Oh, really?" Cooper chuckled as he tossed his phone from his right to his left, quickly adding to the distance between Duncan and the phone. "You've got to be more creative than that buddy…"

"Moron…"

Cooper shrugged, a smug smirk unfolding across his features, "You won't believe believe what I'm reading now…"

"Then let me see it!" Duncan fretted as he tried to pull Cooper off balance.

"Oh, you've gotta take the phone away from me first…" Coop shrugged challenging, "Good luck…"

"You know I will!"

"I know you'll try…" Coop deflected.

With a slightly frustrated sigh, Duncan threw himself towards the arm Cooper held the phone in, successfully knocking the larger one off center this time.

"Whoa, almost had it there!" Cooper chuckled as he spun on his heel, making sure his phone was on the opposite side of his body from Dunc, "Gotta try a little harder there bud…"

"Screw you! Sasquatch!" Duncan half-laughed, half-growled.

"Now, easy there Tony Montana…" Cooper chortled before he let out a surprised gasp as Duncan threw him to the ground.

"That's more like it T'Challa!" Cooper teased as he rolled away as Duncan tried to trap him, "Just a little bit too slow though…"

Giving away to the laughter bubbling in his chest for a short minute, Duncan shook his head, "That's the best superhero ever though…"

Cooper shrugged as he stood back up, "Honestly, you'd probably look ridiculous as hell in that suit… I mean, it would probably be waaaay too long for you!"

"I've got like three inches on the actor!" Duncan rolled his eyes before he went in for another attack.

"Where? Around your ego?"

Wrapping one elbow around the front of Coop's neck and placing one leg behind his knee, Duncan sent the large blond flailing. "Your ego is bigger…"

"I'm taller, what'd you expect?" Cooper chuckled, momentarily forgetting to roll away from Duncan before he trapped him.

"Gimme your phone!"

"Nah…"

"Come on!"

"You're literally OVER me, and you still can't reach the phone!" Cooper laughed and allowed himself to swipe away the tears that formed in his eyes from laughing. "You're pathetic!"

"Freaking Yeti…" Duncan frowned, jabbing a few fingertips into Coop's ribcage at the same time as he stretched to reach the phone, "Just hand me the damn ph-fuck!"

Duncan could not hide his surprise when the Californian literally lifted him off from above him and unceremoniously toppled him to the side.

"Kid… You've gotta pack on some more weight if you think squattin' over me will trap me…" Cooper tried in his best Texan accent mimicking Boxer from a mock fight during one of their fist years with the older Delta's.

"First of all, CRAP YOU'RE STRONG! You really think you should treat that elbow of yours like that already?" Duncan pointed an accusing finger, "Second, Box would not approve of you BUTCHERING their accent!"

"Ah… Whatever…" Cooper shrugged as he pushed off the ground, "My elbow's fine!"

"Well, allow me to be slightly worried, alright! It's not that many months since you had a big cast around that arm of yours…" Duncan gave Coop's left arm a courtesy nod before he went on, "And you're not the best at making healthy choices about your own damn health…"

"What are you talking about?" Cooper shrugged and acted like he didn't understand what Duncan might have been getting at.

"Oh, y'know… Just that annoying habit of yours, that where you keep on going until you eventually just drop…" Duncan shrugged.

"My elbow's fine." Cooper shrugged back.

"The scars are still PINK!"

"Yeah, they'll be like that for some time…" Cooper shrugged as he angled his elbow so that he could take a look at the scar, "Doesn't mean it's not solid…"

Duncan used that opportunity to charge for the phone again, "Gimme that phone!"

This time he managed to snag the phone out of Cooper's grasp, only to find that it had locked up. "Aw, come on!"

Chuckling, Cooper looked at him, "Looks like you ain't reading that message anyway…"

"Coop…"

"Ah-uh…" Cooper grinned before he quickly picked the phone out of Duncan's hand, "Too slow bro… Too bad, it was an interesting text."

He then proceeded to unlock his phone once more, flashing the screen towards Duncan, just too fast for the other man to catch any of what it was saying.

"Jerk…"

"Come on… Take it from me…" Cooper challenged, holding the phone demonstratively between his thumb and index finger.

Exhaling through his nose, Duncan shook his head. "You're going to get it you bulked up giraffe…"

"Now that's a new one…" Cooper grinned, "I missed the creativity earli-oomph!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Duncan felt a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth at the surprised sound Cooper made when he connected with the taller man's midriff and tackled him to the ground.

Even though he would protect the guy with his life, a little _friendly_ hand-to-hand practice weren't something he would be too concerned to decline. After all, Cooper was pretty big guy and could protect himself.

"Dude, weren't you just concerned for my elbow or something?" Cooper asked with a cough as he tried to pull air to his lungs.

"That was just me trying to get your attention away from the phone. Kinda worked…" Duncan shrugged as he tried to trap Coop in a way so that he couldn't just lift him off. "Kinda like a magician, and you're pretty easy to deceive."

They wrestled a bit, before Duncan ended up with his legs wrapped around Coop's waist, one of Coop's arms trapped between his arm and his side and reaching for the other hand which held the phone.

" .That."

"- - -I… Could come back later…" a voice suddenly spoke up behind them, neither one had noticed that their newest member had walked into the barrack. "I'll leave you two alone…"

"NO! WAIT! COME HERE!" Duncan called after the poor soldier who was blushed and turning to leave, "Grab his phone while I'm holding him!"

"What…?"

"You heard me, grab his phone. Quick!" Duncan gritted out as he struggled to pin Cooper down.

"No, don't." Cooper shot a warning glare at the SFC.

The younger soldier was left standing a few feet away, torn between helping Duncan get the phone and following his commander's request.

Request. It wasn't an order yet…

"No-NO!" Cooper struggled, yet almost laughed, "DON'T!"

"What's the deal with this anyway?" SFC Colton asked, still standing passively watching his two senior soldiers wrestling on the floor.

"Big Bird here got a message from our former Boss, he's been building the message up for 15 minutes or so, but the damn knucklehead won't show me the damn text!"

"It's a real good one…" Cooper offered with a proud smirk as Duncan tried to overpower him once more, before he shifted and rolled beneath him.

"You two… Are weird…" Colton sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, if you and Becker last this long with the unit, I think you're going to become just as weird…" Duncan gritted out as he shifted and tried to get Coop into a headlock.

"I doubt it…" Colton frowned, tilting his head as he watched the two men struggle against each other.

"HAH! GOT YOU!" Duncan called out triumphantly as he managed to trap Coop in some version of a lock, "You can tap out any time you want… Or, y'know… Just hand me the phone…"

"And decline all this fun?" Cooper choked out, "Never…"

"Just hand me the freakin' phone and I'll let you go…"

"-Or I could just wrestle my way outta this…" Cooper attempted to shrug, but the way Duncan had trapped him left little room for that.

"Oh, I'd like to see you try big fella…" Duncan challenged as he secured his grip a bit more, he knew he would have to use strength if he was going to continue to have the upper hand.

Grabbing Duncan's elbow with his free hand, Cooper tried to power his way out of the hold. It wasn't very effective.

"Go eat some sand, Too Tall!" Duncan gritted out as he tightened his hold a little.

"Nope…" Cooper grinned despite his situation, "You're the one that's going to eat sand Scarface!"

"Hey, no need to get rude…" Colton frowned as he jabbed the toe of his boot to Coop's leg.

"What?" both the wrestling soldiers asked in unison.

"Scarface… I'm pretty sure that's rude given the…" Colton explained as he gestured to his own face, tracing an imaginary scar the same form as Duncan's real one.

Duncan let out a hearty laugh, "Well, I'm not all that mad about it. At least I'm not ugly to begin with…" He finished the insult with another quick jab at Cooper's ribs.

"You really sure about that? Can't exactly remember you having girls tossing themselves at you before you needed all those stitches either…"

"Oh…" Duncan smirked as he reached for Cooper's hand and the phone once more, "That's just because I used to be so handsome women got too intimidated to go up and chat with me… Unlike with you, girls are probably afraid they'll get dragged to your swamp or Sasquatch den!"

Cooper let out an amused grunt as he twisted and tried to get an arm between their torsos. Then he eased pressure on where he assumed Dunc's solar plexus was, satisfied when he heard his buddy cuss and felt him trying to squirm away from him. Thankfully releasing his hold around Coop's neck.

Less than 5 seconds later Cooper was on the other side of the room, still in control of his phone.

He unlocked it again, "Man, this message though! It's almost life changing!"

He wiggled his phone around, teasing Duncan with it. "Come on, come and take it… Or are you too weak? Too slow?"

"This… Means war…" Duncan warned, with a smirk coloring his eyes.

"No… War is ten miles east…" Cooper chuckled, jerking his thumb in that general direction.

Cooper barely had time to blink before Duncan charged at him. The slightly shorter man's shoulder connecting with his hips and forcing him off the ground.

"SET ME DOWN!" Cooper growled as he hung draped over Duncan's right shoulder.

"Hand me the phone. Unlocked."

"Set me down!" Cooper repeated, trying to get away from Duncan's hold.

"See, thrashing around won't help you…" Duncan grunted as he grabbed a little better hold of Coop, "Just give me the damn phone! And I'll let your oversized ass down."

" .Down." Cooper repeated as he hammered a fist against Duncan's back, not hard enough to make any real damage, but hard enough to make it hurt just a little.

"Nah… Think I'll just walk around like this all day…" Duncan teased, knowing very well that he wouldn't be able to make due on that joke, "What's the matter? You don't like being carried?"

"It would have felt a little safer if your skinny little ass looked a little bit stronger!" Cooper frowned and readied himself for toppling Duncan off balance with one quick move.

Duncan sensed what was about to happen, and anchored himself better. Only thing is, when a 6'7" 270 pound tower on your shoulder and that person decides to try to buck off your shoulder, there's not all that much you can do.

Colton stepped aside to avoid being hit by the collective mass of Duncan and Cooper falling towards him.

"Guys, before one of you gets hurt and someone has to do paperwork because of you." Colton rolled his eyes, "Please stop…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Duncan groaned as he tried to roll out from under Cooper's bulk. "Being a crash-math for an oversized Californian, 0 out of 10 would try again…"

"You make a horrible crash-mat…" Cooper frowned as he rolled off Duncan.

"You guys alright?" Colton asked, crouching down to check on the two older Delta's, "That looked like it hurt Dunc…"

"M okay…" Duncan croaked out as he wrapped his arms around his chest, "Soon as I catch m'breath…"

"You're sure?"

"I just got crushed by the not so green giant." Duncan winced, as he rolled over to his side. Playing up his level of discomfort a little bit.

"Hey, bud… Did I hurt you?" Cooper knelt down and placed one hand on Dunc's shoulder, worry displaying all over his face.

"GOTCHA!" Duncan snagged the phone and almost spun off the floor, Coop's phone in hand. "Oh, and you didn't have the time to lock it!"

"You son of a…" Coop shook his head as he looked up at where Duncan was now standing, looking at his phone.

"What?" Duncan's eyes went wide before he looked over at Coop, "He writes that Michelle has gone into labor!"

Cooper nodded, "Yeah!"

"And Michelle's your…" Colton's eyebrows tightened as he looked over at Cooper, "Your girlfr?…"

"She's the girlfriend of one of the former Delta's…" Cooper chuckled, "She's adorable, and somehow she manages take care of that guy…"

"Fun fact for you kid, the guy who sent this message, he had Coop's job before him…"

"He was the Boss?"

Duncan nodded, "Yeah, and he was the reason Coop wasn't comfortable with being called 'Boss' before a couple of years had passed."

"You didn't like being called 'Boss', Boss?" Colton looked over at Cooper with raised eyebrows.

"Nah, Coop hated it the first couple of years!" Duncan grinned.

"You wouldn't feel too comfortable either if you were attempting to jump after Wirkola."

"What?" Duncan and Colton looked up at Cooper with confused expressions.

"Jump after Wirkola…" Cooper repeated hesitantly.

"Buddy, you need to start make a lot more sense pretty quickly now…" Duncan chuckled.

Cooper furrowed his brows, "Okay, let's just say taking over after Jack was a damn near impossible task. At least it felt like it."

"Okay, that's fair…" Duncan nodded, "People could get anxiety from less."

"He was that great?"

"He was the greatest." Coop answered with sincerity.

"Couldn't have been…" Colton shook his head.

"He was…" Duncan built up under Coop's statement.

"But that's Coop, he's the best leader. Ever…" Colton looked between his two senior soldiers, "Okay, you can both be a little childish, like less than ten minutes ago. But you're great soldiers, and you're the best leader or boss I've ever had." Colton finished pointing at Coop.

"Thanks, but you just haven't met Jack." Cooper grinned, "You'd change your mind in a heartbeat if you did."

"So… Jack's a dad now?" Duncan shrugged and smiled, looking down at Coop's phone again.

"Didn't it just say she was going into labor?" Cooper nodded at his phone, "Might still be a little time left then…"

"Okay, true…" Duncan smiled down at the phone, "Think about that though… Jack with a kid. I'm almost envious of the kid."

Coop nodded, "Yeah, there's no question that he's going to be a great dad. Protective and caring as he is."

"He might be a little on the overprotective side though…" Duncan shrugged, a sideways smile coloring his face.

"Yeah, the kid won't be allowed to date before she's 30 or something, but you can't really blame him…" Cooper chuckled.

"So it's a girl they're having?" Duncan looked up again.

"Dunc, I told you that a few weeks ago…"

"Oh, right!" Duncan nodded, "Totally forgot."

The phone pinged again, Duncan looked down at it again, "Just a notification that they made it to the hospital. And a request to stand by for further information…"

"Guess I'll take my phone over to the mess hall later then…" Cooper chuckled, "Sure I didn't hurt you when I fell on you?"

"Relax Coop. I ain't fragile." Duncan chuckled, "But you should've seen your face."

Cooper chuckled, "Okay, since you're not hurt or anything, ready for a workout before dinner then?"

"What was it we did the last fifteen minutes?" Duncan frowned.

"That was warmup." Cooper smirked, "You know, if we're going to keep up with the young guys we better be serious about our workouts."

"You're afraid of not keeping up with us?" Colton asked with big eyes, "None of us can keep up with Dunc when he shifts into that gear that none of us were dealt, and testing strength against you Coop… That's just an all in all embarrassing experience!"

"Yeah, and we'd like to keep it that way for at least another decade…" Duncan chuckled before he turned towards Coop, "Okay, weights or cardio?"

"Since I almost crushed you, you get to pick…" Cooper answered with slight dread, knowing what kind of workout the other was likely to pick.

"Better tighten your boots big guy…" Duncan winked, "We're going for a run…"

 **Okay, hope you enjoyed this chapter. It turned out to be a long one.**


	105. Chapter 105

**So, I figure I'd keep on writing in the same style as the last chapter for a little while.**

They ran for almost an hour. It was years since they both came up with the best way for the two of them to complete a run together. It was basically a lengthy version of tag.  
And by the time they made it back to camp, ready to take a shower and head over to the mess hall for dinner, they would be absolutely spent.

"I. Was not." Cooper gasped for air as he leaned down with his hands on his knees, "Not built for. Speed!"

Duncan chuckled as he too fought to catch his breath, "Of course not. You're built like a truck, not a sports car."

Cooper couldn't do anything else but nod in agreement, "Yeah."

"But given all that, you're doing good." Duncan chuckled, "You're not the slowest one in the squad, and if I have to guess, I'd guess you're faster than the average American…"

"Shut up. I'm tryin' -to breathe."

Duncan chuckled, "Since when does me talking affect your breathing?"

"You talk too much." Cooper squinted up at Duncan from his bent over position, his left hand going up to motion to his head "Sounds like white noise in my brain right now…"

Duncan chuckled, "Whatever. I'm heading to the shower. You should stretch."

"Breathe first…"

"Yeah… Sure." Duncan chuckled, "Just don't get a heart attack, alright?"

"Fuck you…" Cooper chuckled as he slowly started to catch his breath, "I'll mess you up the next time we work out my way!"

Duncan grinned, "Oh, I know you will… I just love seeing you miserable like this…"

Coop glared at his buddy as he stood back up and started freeing his phone from the cellphone armband he had around his forearm. "Whatever…"

"Any news from Jack about Michelle?" Duncan asked as he stretched his arms over his head.

"No…" Cooper shook his head, "Not yet…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"I heard Colt thought he caught the two of you getting a little too friendly!" Robert Monroe teased as Coop and Duncan came to the table ready to set down their trays.

"Guess we scared him a bit!" Duncan laughed, "No, it was just Little John over there who wouldn't let me see know what was so funny about the message he got from our old boss."

"Little John… Good one…" Colton chuckled, just as Cooper's phone decided to make some noise again for the first time in a few hours.

"News?" Dunc looked up and asked.

"Gimme a minute to read it, it's long and Jack has obviously been excited or something when he wrote this…"

"Lots of writing errors?"

"Peppered with them…" Coop nodded, "Looks like it won't be much longer now. I'm getting a bit of details that kinda makes me never want to have kids."

"You know you're not the one that's going to go through it…" Duncan teased, knocking his shoulder against Coop's.

"Of course," Coop nodded, "But the general idea of causing anyone that much pain, it's not sitting well with me…"

"Boss, you know it's pretty much in your job description?" Alan Young pointed towards Coop with his fork, "Be able to work intelligence. Track down bad guys. Bring pain."

"Yeah, but the people we're sent to neutralize, they usually deserve it." Coop shrugged, "As far as I'm concerned, my potential future girlfriend or wife will be innocent. And even if I haven't met her yet, I don't want to bring her pain. Ever…"

"Come on, what's he writing?" Duncan looked over at the tallest Delta operator, then he held out his hand, "Can I have a look?"

"Have at it," Coop shrugged. "At your own risk…"

"Don't you think that's a bit rude of you, just showing that message to Dunc, without saying it to the person who sent the text?"

"Oh, he already knows…" Duncan shrugged, "He knows I seldom know where my phone is at, and that if he sends something that's for Coop's eyes only he better say that at the start of the message."

"Just like the letters from home…" Cooper grinned, "You remember Jack just glancing at his letters before handing them to Box?"

Duncan nodded as he plucked the phone out of Coop's hand, with ease this time around, then he started reading.

"Okay, yep. I get what you're saying…" Dunc nodded, "This is kinda… I didn't really want to read those words ever. Not in this context anyway."

Cooper nodded, "Well, at least it's not pictures."

"Did not need that mental picture Coop!"

Cooper nodded, "Guess we'll just have to wait in anticipation for the big announcement…"

"Yeah… Shit, maybe I should find my phone so that I can congratulate them when it's time for that…" Duncan pulled a slight grimace, "Any idea where I might have placed it guys?"

"Not a clue…"

"Nope."

"You're hopeful…"

"Nah…"

"Crap…" Duncan shrugged, "Guess I'll have to go on a search and rescue mission for it after dinner…"

"Guess you better do that buddy…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Two hours later, Cooper was back sitting on his bunk. He was wringing his hands, his left thumb tracing over the old, faint scar from a bad mishap with a winch. An incident which had left him in need of about 20 stitches and a cast for two months.  
Now, years later, it wasn't anything more than a memory and sometimes a distraction. He often found himself running his thumb or a few fingers over that scar when he was deep in thought, nervous or just needed something to do with his hands. Just like now.

"How much longer do you think it'll be?" he finally asked, allowing himself a glance over at Duncan who had once again laid down on his bunk, tossing a baseball up above him to fight the boredom.

"You're talking to the wrong Delta man…" Duncan drawled, but looked over at Coop, "I'm not the one with a good career as a doctor."

Coop nodded, he still had his elbows on his knees and he still kept rubbing the same old scar on his right hand.

"Coop, you're going to rub your thumb straight through your hand if you continue like that much longer…" Duncan sighed, suddenly sounding like a disapproving parent.

Coop shrugged and stopped rubbing the scar.

"Seriously man, you're looking nervous enough to make it look like you're the expectant father!" Duncan chuckled.

"Think I would have been more nervous then…" Coop ran a hand through his short hair, "Yeah, I definitely would have been more nervous then!"

"I can't really see how…" Duncan shook his head, "But alright…"

"Ha… Funny…" Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Okay, to put it in another way, you look more nervous now than when we're out wherever and have bullets or grenades raining down all around us." Duncan sat up and studied the larger man.

Cooper shrugged at that statement, "No I get nervous then too!"

Duncan was just about to say something when Coop's phone buzzed once more. Both men snapped their eyes towards the phone, both excited to see what the newest message was telling them.

"Awww…" Cooper cooed as soon as he was able to read the message.

"What does it say?" Duncan asked as he sat up on one knee on his bed, ready to get up and walk over to Coop.

"Congratulations, you're now uncles!" Cooper grinned as he started reading the message, "Meet Kathrine Sawyer Dalton. Little Katy was born at 4:45 this morning 7lbs 2oz, 19 inches. Mom and baby is doing great, and the closest one to pass out was Dad…"

"Of course he was…" Duncan chuckled as he stood up, "Kathrine, nice name…"

"She's cute too… For a newborn baby…" Cooper nodded.

"Can I have a look?" Duncan asked as he walked over, and sat down beside Cooper.

"Yeah…" Coop nodded and handed his phone over to Duncan.

"That's one tiny little girl…" he noted, his voice immediately transforming into that voice held for tiny puppies and other super cute things. "She's going to have her parents wrapped around her little finger before no time…"

Coop nodded, "I know I wouldn't stand a chance…"

"You and that big ol' soft heart of yours?" Duncan smirked, "You'd be done for."

Cooper nodded, "I'd like to argue that statement, but I guess there would be no use…"

"Nah, it would be like Mac saying he's not smart…" Duncan chuckled.

Cooper laughed, "Yeah, I guess it wouldn't be very believable…"

"So… Uncles. That's what he called us?" Duncan smiled, still looking down at the little human resting on Michelle's chest.

Cooper nodded, "Yeah, uncles…"

Duncan nodded, and gave the phone back to Cooper. "We should start planning a gift to give them once we get back to the US."

Coop nodded, "Like a doll or some baby clothes…?"

"Or both?" Duncan offered.

"Yeah, of course…" Cooper nodded.

 **Okay, hope you had a little fun there! See you soon!**


	106. Chapter 106

**Hello there, hope you're doing well! *  
-Sorry this took a while, managed to get myself busy with 2 other stories…**

"Have you ever seen anyone as cute?" Michelle asked as she ran a finger over the back of their newborn daughter's hand, she couldn't keep her eyes off the little girl.

Jack leaned in closer and ran his index finger against the outside of their little daughter's other hand. He couldn't hold back the tears that pressed on his eyes when the small girl wrapped her hand around his finger.

"I thought I had…" he admitted, "You're pretty cute you too…"

"-But?" Michelle smiled, not moving her eyes from the little girl.

"I'm afraid to say that she might just out-cute you…" Jack apologized, and offered Michelle a quick smile.

"It's alright…" Michelle grinned back, "I totally agree…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac yawned and stretched as he woke up. He turned over to his side and looked at his nightstand. Yawning once more, he reached out for his phone and flipped it on.

One new message. From Jack. Received about 5 A.M.

He opened it, and a saw a baby swaddled in pink. The text itself didn't say much, except 'I'm a DAD! Come meet Kathrine when you wake up! Both her and Michelle are doing great.'

He grinned and looked at the picture again. He could clearly see the resemblance to Jack from old baby pictures he had seen, but there was also a lot of Michelle in the little one.

He smiled and pulled his covers away.

He placed his feet on the floor, and stood up. He padded over to the closet and found a clean set of clothes, before he headed for the shower. _First impressions were important._

He would answer the text when he was done with the shower.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Riley rolled out of bed and got into her clothes. In a semi-conscious haze she made her way to the kitchen and set over some coffee.

She went back to her bedroom to pick up her phone when she realized she had forgotten it there. It buzzed as she picked it up, telling her that someone had tried contacting her while she slept.

She unlocked the phone and opened the only new message.

It was a picture of Jack with a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The smile on Jack's face was wider and brighter than she could remember ever seeing it.

She smiled at the proud look Jack had, he looked so content.

She read the short text Jack had added to the picture.

 _'Ri, meet your little sister  
Kathrine. She's adorable,  
and waiting to meet her  
older sister when you're  
awake and ready to come  
visit us…' _

Okay, Riley was about ready to bet that Michelle had written the text. Either that or Jack had made her proofread the text.

She started typing back. Congratulating both of them, and letting them know that she would come to the hospital after she had eaten breakfast and done a couple of other things that she had to do.

She could barely wait to see Jack and Michelle as new parents. She knew Jack secretly had dreamt of this for years, and Michelle just seemed like the perfect mother.

 **Okay, so… There…  
Now you have another chapter. I know it maybe wasn't going to be what some of you expected or wanted.**

 **I couldn't write the birth itself. I just couldn't.  
Only human birth I've been a part of is the one where I was born, and it's my general understanding (based on what I've heard and from stray glimpses of shows in the genre of '24hrs at the hospital') that it's very different from farm animals giving birth. **


	107. Chapter 107

**Hello folks! Hope all is well!  
**

He just had to make one quick stop before he went to the hospital. He really should have done this much earlier, weeks ago to be honest. But so was the life of a Phoenix agent, hardly any free time, and when you first were off duty, you were usually so tired you just went to bed and slept until the phone buzzed again.

But standing in front of the wall of plushies, he really wished he had already bought a little gift for Jack and Michelle's baby.

There were too many options. And he didn't want to choose a regular old-fashioned teddy bear, he knew Riley had already bought that for the baby so he wanted to give something else.

His eyes fell on a green plushie bird. It was cute, but not the right one. He looked around a little more and found a soft-colored plush kitten. That one would be perfect.  
He grabbed it and looked at it. Yep, perfect.

He smiled and headed for the checkout.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He was actually nervous when he stood outside the room Jack had given him the number to. He was about to meet Jack's daughter for the first time.  
He was about to meet Jack as a real father for the first time.  
(Not that Jack didn't have years of experience being his and Riley's father… So to speak.)

He wasn't really afraid that it would change their dynamic, but he knew Jack would be a bit more busy at home from now on. And Mac didn't know if Jack planned on coming back as a field agent if his leg healed enough for that.  
Either way, this was Jack 2.0. There was a great chance that the man he knew would change a lot over the next few years, but one thing Mac knew…  
The little girl, Kathrine, she would have the best damn dad ever.

Mac swallowed hard before he knocked on the door. A second later a voice inside told him to come inside.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Mac…" Jack grinned, "Come on in…"

Mac stepped into the room, and saw Michelle in the bed with a swaddled pink bundle.

"Hey…" he smiled, "How are the tw-three of you doing?"

"We're doing great…" Michelle grinned, "Kathrine is snoozing a little…"

"I brought her a little thing. A kitten, plushie…"

"Awww… It's adorable…" Michelle grinned as Mac handed it to her to tuck next to Kathrine.

"Nowhere near as adorable as her…" Mac smiled, "You both did very good making that one…"

"Yeah, we did…" Jack grinned, "Michelle is great! But you knew that already."

"Yeah, I knew that…" Mac nodded, "All went well?"

"Yeah…" Michelle smiled, "Everything went well."

"That's good…"

Michelle nodded, before she looked over at Jack and mischief flashed across her eyes for a second, "Well, if you don't consider Mr. tall dark and handsome over there almost passing out in the delivery room."

"I didn't." Jack was quick to shoot in.

"Almost Jack, almost…" Michelle chuckled.

"For real?"

"Yeah…" Jack finally admitted, a red tint creeping up his cheeks, "I was not prepared for… All of that…"

"Relax, Soldier…" Michelle grinned looking down at their daughter before she looked over at Jack, "Happens more often than you think…"

A couple of minutes of light chatting later, someone knocked on the door again. And Riley entered as soon as Michelle answered.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack watched as _his two oldest kids_ met his new daughter. It felt like his heart grew three sizes just watching them. And he was sure to snap a picture or two of it.

He sat back and smiled for a few minutes more. He smiled.

"Oh, and we've got another announcement too…" Michelle suddenly interrupted as Mac and Riley were busy adoring Kathrine.

"Yeah?" Riley asked, "What is it?"

"We've got a date…" Jack smiled, taking Michelle's cue, "For the wedding."

"Really?" Mac smiled, "When?"

"Well, not really a date, but a week…" Michelle shrugged, "We've figured out about when we're going to get married. It's going to be some time between January 14th and the start of February 2019…"

"Cool!" Riley grinned, paying way more attention to the little girl she was holding in her hands, "What's special with those days?"

"Well, a few of Jack's old squad mates are getting back stateside on the 14th of January…" Michelle explained, "And we kinda want to arrange it so that everyone can be there."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, spoke with Coop and Dunc earlier. They figured they could just head straight to us when they got back."

"What about jetlag?" Riley looked up.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that with the two of them…" Mac chuckled, "They know what they're doing. And I guess the bachelor and bachelorette party will take place somewhere between the 14th and the wedding…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, and I'm insisting on at least two days of recovery from that, or three… Three would be great. Boxer have has given me a fair warning that he planned on hijacking the bachelor party no matter who I tried to delegate that job to…"

Mac chuckled, "I've heard stories…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, we're all gonna need a few days of recovery…"

"Have you given any thought to whether you're going to get married here or in Texas then?" Riley asked, eyes still glued on the little beautiful girl she was holding.

"Here." They both answered in unison.

 **Okay that's it for this chapter. Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy with another story lately.**


	108. Chapter 108

**Okay, let's hope you enjoy this too… It's been a little while, I know.**

They had gotten back home and settled in a few days ago. It was clear to him that life as he knew it had changed, but in all honesty, it was for the better.

Even at 4AM early Sunday morning. With a baby waking them both up crying.

He rolled over and squeezed Michelle in a hug, "I'll take her… But if she's hungry I'll bring her to you…"

"There's bottles in the…"

"Okay, then I'll warm one of those up…" he smiled.

He felt Michelle nod against his cheek, "Thank you, Soldier…"

He tightened the hug a little before he let go and rolled away.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He winced silently as he stood up and his thigh made sure he knew it wasn't all the way back to perfect just yet.

He stood still for a second or two until he figured it would be safe to step down on his bad leg, without stumbling or accidentally letting out a gasp.

He walked over to her little crib, and turned on the dim light they had hung above the bed.

Every time he saw her he couldn't believe how cute she was. She was literally perfect.

"Hey baby girl…" he whispered as he picked her up, "Let's move into the living room so we don't disturb mom too much, huh?"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

By a short elimination process, he figured out the little one was hungry. So when he had warmed up the milk and tested the temperature, he walked them to the chair in his living room.

As he sat down with a small grunt, he looked down at his little daughter.

"At least we won't be competing in who of us is the first one to walk…" he smiled a little as he brought the baby bottle to Kathrine's lips, "I was a little worried about that a few months ago…"

She started sucking eagerly, and Jack smiled. "So, you were hungry…"

The little one kicked out with her legs, and Jack chuckled, "I don't know if that was your answer, but I'll take it as one…"

He started humming some of the songs his mother used to sing to him when he was a kid. It had felt like his heart had grown at least three sizes since his little princess had been born. And even though he liked his sleep, he couldn't wait for more moments like this in the months and years to come.

With a smile he looked down at her as she decided to take a break from the bottle, when she stretched a little he smiled even wider. "Oh, I hope you don't figure out too soon how much you've got me wrapped around your little finger…"

He watched as she blinked up at him, and he tried to tempt her with the bottle again. She took it.

"You're going to cause a lot of trouble when you're older, I just know it…" he chuckled, "I might have to put the fear of God into a few boys when that time comes around… Just sayin'…"

After a little while Kathrine finished with the bottle, and Jack set the empty bottle aside on the table and prepared to burp her.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After he was done he checked what time it was, and wondered if there was any use for him to try to go back to sleep for a little while more. He decided to place Kathrine back in her crib, and then clean out the bottle he had given Kathrine.

Then he went back to bed, for another hour or two.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"How did it go?" he was surprised to hear Michelle's voice as he crawled back into bed.

"Great…" he murmured, "She was just hungry…"

In the dark he could make out Michelle nodding, "Looks like she's got your appetite…"

He couldn't help but chuckle a little at that one, "Yeah, I guess…"

Before he knew it, he felt one of her arms lace around him and pull him slightly closer to her. And even now, his stomach filled with butterflies at her touch. He hoped that would never change.

 **Okay, that's it for this chapter. There's a strong possibility that I might jump ahead a bit for the next chapter. How do you guys feel about that? I've got something planned. Kinda. –As far as I ever plan anything…**


	109. Chapter 109

**Okay, this 'little' story has been temporarily dead for a little while now. Sorry.**

It was a couple of days before the guys from his former team would arrive. It would be great to see the guys again, it always felt like too much time passed between every time they saw each other, didn't matter if it was two weeks or a year.

Box, Dunc and Coop would stay with them, while Pete and Becky would stay with Mac. Unless Boxer, Duncan and Cooper begged to switch it around due to a crying, colicky baby. Because that was a possibility.

"You have got to be the calmest bride to be ever…" Jack smirked as he sat down next to Michelle.

"Met many brides in your life?" Michelle teased.

"I've got a few sisters who are married…" Jack nodded, "Pretty sure Rizz tried separating my head from my shoulders when she was getting hitched."

Michelle chuckled, "Yeah, Rita seems like she can be a bit feisty…"

"A bit?" Jack chuckled, "You should've seen her before she went mom-mode… I'm sure she could've given Matty a run for her feistiness…"

"Wow…"

Jack nodded, "She calmed down a lot…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… Are you looking forward to seeing your team again?" Michelle asked as she buried her feet under Jack's on the couch.

He nodded, "Yeah. It's been a while…"

"It has…" Michelle nodded.

"And you? Are you excited for your family coming over here?"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, but at the same time I'm really glad it's not _them_ staying at our place…"

Jack chuckled, "You sure you're alright with the…"

"Absolutely." Michelle nodded, "Duncan and Box agreed to watching Katy when it was necessary. Coop agreed to helping you with setting in those three new windows upstairs…"

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "I think windows and doors are hard to get right, he thinks it's easy… Good to know the son of a carpenter sometimes…"

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, especially one that tagged along…"

Jack nodded again.

"It's kinda weird to think about that we're actually done with all of the preparations already…" Michelle said tilting her head, "I feel like all of my friends that have gotten married has been struggling all the way up to the day before… Some of them even until they had to get in the dress and walk down to the altar…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I feel that's pretty common too…"

"It's not long now…" Michelle smiled.

"No, it definitely ain't… Miss Sawyer…"

"Soon to be Mrs. Dalton…" Michelle winked.

"Yeah…" Jack grinned, "You're going to fit that name…"

 **Okay so… On to the next chapter. Soon-ish…**


	110. Chapter 110

**Okay, so I needed to get this down on paper some time ago. Actually during ch. 78. So that's a little while ago. Anyway. Hope you'll like the next XX chapters.**

 **Wish me luck.**

"Dude, you're so klutzy it's almost not funny!" Duncan rolled his eyes as he looked over at his best buddy on the other side of the cab.

"Shut up…" Cooper grimaced rubbing his left knee.

"You sure know how to make an entrance…"

"Shut up, I said…"

"Most people use at least a couple of seconds to get down stairs that long…"

"Shut your face…"

"How much time did you use? A second flat?"

"Dunc, I swear…"

"What?" Dunc laughed, "It was hilarious."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure my knee's swollen!" Cooper winced.

"Is it bad?" Duncan's voice went from teasing to concerned. "Do you need to go to the doctor?"

Cooper shook his head, "No…"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Probably just sprained it… Whatever it is can wait until after the wedding. It'll probably be all fine again by then."

Duncan nodded, and looked down at Cooper's left knee. "You sure?"

"Yeah, it's not even that bad anyway…"

"Wouldn't be the first time you lied about something like that…" Duncan muttered under his breath, just low enough that Coop wouldn't hear it.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Cooper did his best not to limp as they walked from the cab and over to the front door of Jack and Michelle's house. It took a lot of effort, and it took even more effort not to sound his discomfort.

It felt like it had worsened a bit in the 30 minute drive from the airport to Jack's place. He didn't think it was anything wrong, or at least he hoped there wasn't anything wrong. It felt like it had swelled up a bit, and it was definitely getting stiffer.

Jack was the one to open the front door, he was holding their daughter up against his chest and shoulder. "Hey there, come in. Get settled in the rooms you've stayed in before. Michelle will have dinner ready in forty-fifty minutes."

"Stressed?" Duncan asked, tilting his head.

"Maybe a bit…" Jack admitted, "Kitten here won't stop crying…"

"She's not crying now…" Cooper pointed out.

"Oh, give it a minute…" Jack sighed, "She'll start up again soon… She's colicky."

"Oh, poor little lady…" Cooper frowned and brought a finger up to run it against the outside of her little hand, "That's not fun…"

"No…" Jack nodded, "It's not. Not for her, and not for us either…"

Jack was right, even before the two Delta operators had made it inside their respective rooms, little Kate started up again with the crying, causing her dad to let out an exasperated sigh.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Once he had dropped his bag by 'his bed', Coop allowed himself to unzip his pants and take a look at his knee. It had swelled up, and was kinda hot to the touch, which told him it would probably turn some nice shades of black and blue before long.

He sat down on the bed and tested a few things doctors had done to test his knees on earlier occasions, but figured out everything was okay enough. But he realized the windows he had promised setting in would be easier to take care of straight away than later on.

He stood back up, pulled his jeans back on and zipped them.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, I was thinking about those windows you mentioned…" Coop said snapping his fingers before pointing to a nearby window, then at the stairs leading to the second floor, "I could take care of that now, then we're done with it… How does that sound?"

"Sounds great." Jack nodded and looked at his shoulder where a pretty fuzzy Katy was squirming around, "Let me just hand her over to Duncan, and we can go up there."

"Good. The windows are already up there, or?"

"Yeah, Mac helped me carry them up a few days ago." Jack nodded, "I just need help with taking down the old ones and putting in the new…"

"Okay, then we'll be done in no time…" Coop smirked, "And the boards for the window trim? You've got that up there too?"

"No, haven't bought that yet." Jack shrugged, "But that's something I can do on my own later."

"Okay…" Coop nodded, "If you buy it before we pack up and leave again, I can probably help you with that too…"

"That'd be nice…" Jack nodded, "Thanks…"

"No problem, Boss."

"Last time I checked, you had that title now…"

"Nah…" Coop grinned, "Not when you're around…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They worked well and quickly together, and was just about finished when Michelle called out that dinner was ready. So they allowed themselves the three extra minutes it took to get finished with setting in the third window too.

They quickly put the tools away and tidied up real quick before they headed downstairs.

"So, did you guys get finished, or are you going back up afterwards?"

"No, only thing missing now is the trims, right?" Jack claimed, but looked over at Coop to be sure.

"Yeah. The windows should be tight now. Insulated and ready for the trims…"

"Aw, that's good news." Michelle grinned, "Well, if you two working men go wash your hands, I'll even let you into the kitchen to get some grub…"

"Yes ma'am…" Coop nodded, and followed after Jack who was already headed for the bathroom and the sink.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So… Has Box made it here yet?" Dunc asked.

Michelle shook her head, "No, he's flying in tomorrow."

"He's staying here, right?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded.

"And Pete?" Cooper followed up.

"Yeah, he's arrived." Jack nodded, "But Becky and him are staying with Mac.

"You guys excited for the big day?" Cooper asked leaning back in his seat.

Both Michelle and Jack nodded.

"Very…" Michelle smiled.

"And you? Ready to get dressed up in suits?" she winked.

Duncan nodded, "Yeah, we're ready!"

Cooper nodded too, then he leaned forward again placing his elbows on the kitchen table. "Hey, we both had a long ass day today, and I don't know about you Dunc, but I'm beat. I need to get some sleep, if you guys don't mind…"

"No, of course not…" Michelle shook her head, "I don't think it'll be too long before I turn in either. Kate was up at the break of dawn today…"

Jack chuckled, "Well… Might as well give in early tonight. I'm pretty sure I'll have enough to do tomorrow anyway. And Boxer said he had something planned for the bachelor party… I have a feeling we all want to be well rested before that starts."

"Shit… We're gonna get shitfaced…" Dunc winced. "The bachelor party is tomorrow?"

Jack nodded.

"So you've been partying hard with him before?" Michelle chuckled.

"He was in charge of Pete's bachelor party…" Coop laughed, "And that's why we all insisted on having at least two days to regain our strength on…"

Michelle laughed, "So that's why…"

Dunc nodded while Coop shuddered.

"It was shudder worthy?" Michelle's eyes widened as she looked at Cooper.

"I think it was…" Coop winced, "I know the start of the party was great, and fun… But…"

"You've seen the hangover movies, right?" Duncan shot in.

"We didn't reach that level…" Cooper assured, "But I'm still surprised none of us got injured or died."

"Well, if anyone of us would have gotten injured, I would bet it would have been you…" Duncan rolled his eyes and nudged Cooper in the arm.

"No…"

"Yeah. Probably…" Jack chuckled.

"Or you…" Duncan followed up as soon as Jack started laughing.

Cooper smirked a little at that, "Yeah, Boss…"

"No…" Jack shook his head, "I wouldn't…"

"Sure…" Michelle chuckled.

"Yeah, well, anyway… I made sure we have enough of time to get back to human on…" Jack shrugged.

"I sure hope so…" Michelle rolled her eyes, "If you guys still feel tired almost two weeks later, there's something wrong…"

"Hey… Just playing it safe…"

"That's probably a good thing…" Duncan admitted as he brought a hand up to scratch through his hair. "The hangover last time lasted way longer than I expected…"

"Exactly…" Jack nodded.

"Okay, but yeah… I'm turning in now… So… G'night…" Cooper said as he started getting up.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Michelle, Jack and Duncan stayed in the kitchen after Coop had walked off to bed.

"He's limping…" Michelle noted after Cooper had stepped into the bathroom, "Quite obviously too…"

Jack nodded, "He do something lately?"

"Yeah…" Duncan nodded and stretched in his seat to see down the hall, "He took a vertical shortcut…"

"Okay?"

"Yeah, he fell down some long ass stairs. Think he bumped his knee pretty good."

"So? Has it swelled up a lot?"

"He didn't let me check it. He spent a good 15 seconds guarding that knee before he was able to uncurl and get back up…" Duncan shrugged, "But he was able to walk over to the cab on his own…"

"Well, hopefully for him it won't stiffen up while he's sleeping, or he'll end up with a BAD limp tomorrow…" Jack frowned, "Looks bad enough now…"

"Yeah…" Michelle nodded.

"I just hope that if it is bad, he'll feel bad enough tomorrow morning to realize he should take it easy and maybe ask for some crutches. Because if he's able to walk around on it, I'm pretty sure he'll forget all about ever having an achy knee when we're a few beers into the bachelor party…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah… You've got a point."

"Okay… I'll admit, I don't know the rest of the gang as well as any of you… Anything I should know?" Michelle looked from Jack and to Duncan.

"Not anything else than Boxer plans hella good parties, and Coop has a tendency to think he can just power through pretty much anything…" Duncan shrugged, "I'm trying to train Coop to realize that's not the case…"

"Train him?" Jack smirked.

"Yeah." Duncan chuckled, "Don't think it's working all too well though…"

"Have you tried giving him treats when he's 'a good boy'?" Jack chuckled, "Cause it sounded like you were trying to train a puppy."

"That's easier…" Duncan shook his head, "My first few years in the army, the dogs I trained… It's nothing compared to that guy…"

 **Next chapter**


	111. Chapter 111

**Okay. Hoping that this will look alright in the end. I've changed my mind about 50 times already.**

As he woke up early the next morning, he realized his knee had gotten a good beating the day before. But it wasn't the worst ever, he would probably be limping a bit, but nothing that needed to be checked out. For sure.

He stretched before he sat up. Then he reached for his duffle bag and found something to wear. He opted for jeans and a t-shirt and a zipper hoodie.

It was obvious to him that his knee had swelled up quite a bit. It was visible when he didn't have his jeans on, and it was visible when he put his jeans on. He hoped it wouldn't be bad enough for anyone else to notice it, the fact that he could feel the denim stretch a little tighter around his left knee probably made it more obvious to him.

He tested his knee once he stood up. It bent, straightened, felt steady enough. Also ached a little bit, but nothing that would really slow him down. But there was no way he would willingly try to do a deep squat before his knee felt better.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He was the first one up. He checked the clock on the wall, 0445. One thing was for sure, if he were to keep up with the other guys later at the bachelor party, he would have to sneak in a nap some time during the day. After all, there was like a 10 hour difference between Bagdad and LA, and going from one to the other, it messed your sleep schedule up a bit.

Even though there were no one around to witness it, he tried to hide his limp as best as he could as he made his way to the kitchen. It was mostly just to gauge how well he would be able to hide it the rest of the day. He didn't want Duncan and the others to worry about his klutzy ass.

He looked around, found the place where Jack and Michelle kept the coffee grounds, and started brewing coffee for all of them.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took about half an hour before Duncan joined him.

"Couldn't sleep any longer?" Coop asked as Duncan sat down opposite him.

"No…" Dunc answered and rubbed some sleep out of his eyes, "Feels like I'm getting up way after noon…"

"Hey, it's 3pm in Bagdad…" Coop shrugged, "So you kinda are…"

Dunc nodded and smiled as Coop poured up some coffee for him, "Next couple of weeks are gonna be fun…"

"Yeah…" Coop nodded, "Or, I don't think sobering up after tonight is going to be particularly fun…"

"You might have a point there…" Duncan grimaced, "Who do you think will be most drunk?"

"I think Box is going to try and put Jack in that position… But you and Pete could also be competing about getting drunkest."

"What about you?"

"Oh, could easily be me too…" Coop nodded, "Or MAC!"

"That… That would be awesome…" Duncan chuckled quietly, "I mean… Seeing our little brother drunk off his ass…"

Coop nodded, "Yeah…"

"Or maybe that friend of Mac's? Bozer?"

"You know one of us is accidentally going to mess up his name and call him Boxer, even if they're nothing alike…"

Duncan nodded, "I know… The chance of any one of us doing just that, are big."

Coop nodded.

They sat there drinking coffee for a little while before they heard a baby crying, and figured the rest of the house was about to wake up.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Thirty minutes later they were all gathered in the kitchen, ready to eat breakfast.

Coop and Dunc had helped Jack preparing it after the best of their abilities, while Michelle had taken care of Katy.

"So, when's Box arriving?" Dunc asked while he was bringing his coffee cup up to his lips once again, "Early or late?"

Jack cast a glance up at the clock on the wall and shrugged, "He should be at the airport in about three hours… Nick arrives then too…"

"Okay, and then they're coming here?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, Box will come here to get settled in and start preparing us for the night out… Nick will swoop by someone he knows here in the city before he comes here."

"Good luck…" Michelle grinned, "Sounds like you're gonna need it."

Jack nodded, "Thank you. –We probably will…"

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

The doorbell rang right around the time Jack expected it to, but he didn't make it all the way to the door before his two 'brothers' stepped through it. One biological, and one who deserved the label anyway.

"Man, it's been too long…" Box drawled, as he dropped his bag and took the last four steps to trap Jack in a hug, "How are you? Ready to get hitched?"

"Yeah. Ready." Jack chuckled.

"And how have you been?"

"Good." Jack nodded, "A little sleep deprived, Katy makes sure of that."

"What? My tiniest niece is kicking my twin's butt?" Nick chuckled, as he also went in for a hug, "You're looking good, -your leg's better?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah. I'm back in business."

"Good. Good." Nick nodded, "Rizz might have mentioned that your job might be a bit rougher than what the rest of us have believed ever since you left the military."

"Oh, that's just speculations…" Jack chuckled and cast a glance at Boxer who shrugged, "You know how she likes to 'try' to figure things out… Although she might not succeed all of the time…"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, but she had some really good arguments."

"Now, why don't you start some CSI investigation if you really believe in her guesses…"

"It's not a crime scene…" Nick's lips formed a thin line, "You know what CSI stands for, right? Or are you mixing it up with some other three letter agency?"

"Yeah… I might be…" Jack chuckled and looked over at Box, offering a wink with the eye that wasn't towards Nick, "Might have it mixed up with the CIA maybe…"

"Yeah, right…" Nick chuckled, "I don't think I'd be smart enough for that."

"Oh, I'd say you would have just as good a chance as the rest of us…" Box shrugged and offered a sideways grin.

Nick chuckled, "Yeah, like that would ever happen…"

"Crazier things must've happened…" Jack shrugged, "But enough about that, get in. Box, get settled. Dunc and Coop are waiting in the living room. Michelle is in the shower."

"And our niece?" Nick tilted his head to make the question clearer.

"She's also in the living room, probably in Dunc's arms. I swear, he's like the baby whisperer. She's actually quiet."

"Colic?" Nick raised his eyebrows.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, it's normal around this age, isn't it?"

Nick nodded, "So I've heard…"

Jack sighed, "Like I said, sleep deprived…"

"I bet…" Boxer chuckled, "How does it compare to our 3rd REAL tour?"

"The one in…"

Boxer nodded.

"About the same sleep level." Jack nodded.

"Ouch…" Box frowned, then a smirk crept onto his lips, "That's it, I'm never having kids of my own…"

"Your loss…" Jack grinned, "It's pretty fun too."

Box shook his head, chuckling, "No. They're… No. I would probably just get payback for all of the stuff the three of us pulled growing up. I don't need that."

Nick fake coughed, "I'd say the stuff the TWO of you pulled, but alright…"

"Oh shut it…" Jack rolled his eyes, "You were there most of the time too…"

"But he didn't do the worst things…" Box shrugged, "He was a lot easier for your parents to raise…"

"That's probably true…" Jack shrugged, "But I'm pretty sure the two of us had a lot more fun growing up…"

"I'm pretty sure the two of you spent a lot more time in the ER too…" Nick countered, "And with casts, crutches or slings…"

Box nodded, "We certainly did…"

Nick nodded, "I rest my case…"

Jack shook his head, "Box… Go get settled in… We'll be in the living room."

"I'm upstairs, right?" Box asked as he cast a glance over at Jack who nodded. "Great!"

"Let's put it like this, you are the only one I trust to actually be safe in stairs at the end of the night…"

Box nodded and chuckled as he walked towards the stairs, "Okay."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Aww, look at her…" Nick smiled as he sat down next to Duncan, then he looked up at Jack, "She's even cuter than on the pictures you've sent!"

Jack nodded proudly, "I give Michelle all the credit for that, by the way."

Nick chuckled, "Yeah, I bet… I would give Anna the credits too…"

"Speaking of Anna, she couldn't make it?"

"No…" Nick shook his head while studying the baby Dunc was holding, "She's back home, she wasn't feeling well…"

"Are you…?"

Nick nodded with a smug smile, "We are."

"Congratulations!" Jack grinned, "How long until the little one arrives?"

"Still six months or so…" Nick shrugged, "So it won't work to quiz me if it's gonna be a boy or girl yet. I don't know."

Jack nodded, "Remind me to give her a call and congratulate her too…"

Nick nodded, "I'll try."

"He just told you the news?" Box raised his eyebrows as he entered the room as well, having heard the tail end of the conversation.

Jack nodded, "Now it's only you left…"

"That's not true…" Box shook his head and pointed to the two delta's in the couch, "As far as I know neither of those two have kids either… And Mac doesn't have kids yet either…"

"Look at Dunc, are you really sure about that?" Jack teased, "I mean, Katy's been crying for a couple of weeks now, and it feels like it's non-stop. But he actually gets her to be quiet. Either it's magic, or…?"

"-Or I've had a whole bunch of foster-siblings through the years. All ages… You learn a trick or four hundred…" Dunc shrugged and looked over at the baby he was holding against his shoulder. "I remember Miss Waters had triplets placed with her, short-term, until they could find a family that could handle all three. They cried on shift… Most of us older kids helped out whenever it was needed."

"Well, I'm grateful for your experience…" Jack nodded, "Mind teaching me a few tricks?"

Dunc smiled, "No problem, boss."

 **Okay, next chapter.**


	112. Chapter 112

**Okay, next chapter.**

A couple of hours later the group had met up with Pete, Bozer and Mac too.

One of the first things that happened was that Mac and Pete were picked up by the biggest Delta and hugged tight, much to their dismay. –At least the picked up part.

Then it went over to the classic subjects you have to go through when you haven't met in a long time.

Then they headed towards Boxer's first planned stop of the evening. Go Karts.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Thought it was best to start out with this, because the blood alcohol level is going to be too high for it later on…" Box drawled with a smirk, "Oh, and if Jack thinks he's up for it, we're going skydiving next."

"Up for it? Sure." Jack grinned, "As long as I get an actual 'chute and not something Mac has pieced together… No offence Mac…"

"None taken…" Mac chuckled.

"Wait, you actually?" Nick frowned while he looked at Jack and pointed at Mac.

"No…" Jack lied, "It's just a joke we've had since the military…"

"Oh… Okay…" Nick nodded, slightly confused.

"Here's an advice for you Nick…" Coop leaned in, "Tonight, if you hear something crazy, stupid, or something that just doesn't quite make sense… Just assume it's a joke or something from our time as a team…"

Nick nodded hesitantly.

"We spent way too much time together, and after a while bad humor gets hilarious…"

Duncan nodded in agreement, "It does. Trust me."

"Okay…" Nick shrugged, "If you say so…"

"So, who's ready to see who's Delta's slowest driver once and for all?" Jack chuckled.

"It's bound to be Jeeves over there…" Box shrugged and jerked his thumb towards Pete.

"Why? Cause I've got a bulletproof leg?" Pete scoffed, "Bring it grandpa…"

"You think you can beat me?"

"I think I've got a good chance." Pete nodded, "Besides, driving a go-kart with this blade shouldn't be much of a problem…"

"Nobody's guessing me…?" Mac frowned in mock confusion, and burst out laughing when Coop and Duncan looked up with barely controlled horror plastered all over their faces.

"No." Dunc shook his head, "That trip the three of us had, is not to be repeated. Ever. Again."

Coop nodded to show he agreed.

"Yeah Mac…" Jack nodded, "A few too many of us have been the unwilling victims of riding shotgun when you've been behind the wheel. Nobody's guessing you…"

"Exactly…" Boxer nodded, "How many speeding tickets have you got anyway?"

"None." Mac shrugged, then looked over at Nick, "And for the record, the time I've driven a bit fast has generally been in some desert country with enemy on our tail."

"About that… Pete sure knows how to floor it too…" Coop chuckled, "Given the right motivation."

"A rocket launcher pointed your way is usually enough motivation for everyone…" Pete shrugged, "Made me wanna GTFO if you know what I mean."

Coop nodded, "Would've been nice to be sitting in a seat when you started speeding there."

"My apologies…" Pete chuckled, "Didn't think about the fragile Norwegian in the back of the truck…"

"Truck?" Mac frowned.

"Yeah… Just a little supply run we agreed to go on…" Pete nodded, "We were bored, figured a nice little drive and the chance to hand out supplies to some of the teams that weren't near the base would be a nice distraction."

Coop nodded, "We had stopped cause we saw something had toppled over in the back… It was one of those trucks that usually have a tarp over the back, but this one hadn't. So I went back to stack it up again and strap it down better. All of the sudden that lunatic shifts into drive and floors it harder than I thought those trucks allowed. And with all the rapid and unsystematic turns he was making, neither I nor the crates kept from falling."

"I thought you had good balance, big guy…" Pete teased.

"Good balance? Yeah, decent… But I ain't superman…" Coop shot back, "I had so many bruises from that trip it wasn't even remotely funny."

"This was before I knew you, right?" Mac furrowed his brows as he looked from Pete to Cooper.

"Probably…" Pete nodded, "Timeline seems a bit fuzzy sometimes. I'm not even sure if it was before or after you messed up your hand."

"Think it was before…" Coop shrugged, "I can't remember being worried about landing on it, and that took me a really long time to get past."

"So? You're not that worried about it anymore?" Pete asked with a smile that said he liked what he was hearing.

"Yeah…" Coop dragged the answer out a bit, "It's proved that it's not as fragile as it sometimes feels like…"

"-He swan-dived out of the second floor of a building a couple of years ago…" Duncan rolled his eyes, "I don't know how he managed that without breaking his neck, but all he did was pulling a muscle in his left shoulder pretty good."

Coop nodded, "Yeah, I don't know how I didn't get badly injured either. But my hand proved it could take a beating, a decent one."

Pete's smile evaporated and turned into a frown instead, "Seriously man… You're not supposed to be jumping out of windows or whatever…"

"Well, option A was getting shot from across the room…" Coop shrugged, "Rumor has it that's really bad for you…"

Pete nodded, barely able to keep from rolling his eyes, "Yeah… -Rumor has it…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A few minutes later everyone had a helmet on and was standing by their respective go-kart.

"Man, you're not going to be able to press yourself down in that thing…" Pete chuckled as he easily slipped into the seat of the one he was going to drive, "Just admit it Coop, you're too tall for all of this…"

"Nah, there's lots of room for me…" Coop shrugged as he started to climb in to his too, "But I could've had a problem if I wasn't flexible at all…"

"Hey, I'm flexible…"

"Didn't say you weren't…" Coop shrugged as he got into position with a slight grimace and looked over at Pete, "Just said I might have had a problem if I wasn't…"

"Well, it looks like you've got a problem already. I mean your face is all…"

"I just twisted my knee a little yesterday… Forgot that it is a bit stiffer than usual…"

"That's it, I thought I caught you limping. Are you alright?" Pete shot Coop a worried look before he put on his helmet, "I could take a look at it afterwards…"

"Nah… Not necessary." Coop winked back, "It isn't that bad."

"Whatever you say…" Pete shrugged, "Offer still stands though, if you change your mind."

Coop nodded.

They all got ready and then the race started. Ten laps. The winner would get eternal bragging rights, while the loser would probably hear it for the rest of his life.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Boxer was in the lead out of the first hairpin turn, but that didn't last long when Duncan passed him around the next bend. Cooper, Bozer, Mac and Pete were fighting about the third position while Jack had fun with trying to force Nick off the track and into the tires.

Letting out a triumphant laugh when his mission succeeded, Jack sped on in an attempt to catch up to the other guys.

Pete managed to bump into Coop's kart hard enough to cause the tall Californian to swerve and spin doughnuts for a good set of yards before he came to a stop laughing his lungs out. Once he had his bearings again, he continued after the others.

A lap later, Dunc got a little too confident around the hairpin turn and ended up facing the wrong way. And Bozer and Boxer raced past him

Pete tried to send Mac flailing the same way he had sent Coop, but Mac saw it coming and hit the breaks just before Pete were about to connect to his side, sending Pete directly to the stacks of wheels on the opposite side of him. Mac sped on again as if nothing had happened while Pete had to wait patiently until one of the people who worked at the tracks came over and pulled him back on the 'road'. All the time cursing the fact that the go-karts didn't have reverse.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

A few laps later it was a tight race between Jack, Mac, Boxer and Duncan. Bozer was 30 yards behind them due to an uncontrolled spin he had suffered. While Coop and Pete were having more fun trying to push each other off the track and generally acting like the go-karts were bumper cars in an amusement park. While poor Nick got shoved off the paved track whenever he reached Pete and Coop again.

Jack and Boxer got out of the last turn of the race first, and both Texans were flooring it to be the first one over the finish line, Duncan and Mac were driving just as hard to get the third place.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack managed to win by as little as possible. Letting out a whoop of joy when he realized that he had passed the finish line first.

Duncan took the third place, leaving Mac with the fourth and Bozer with the fifth.

And after having successfully left Pete in the ditch a few turns back, Cooper took the sixth place.

Pete got back on the road just in time to beat Nick and avoid coming in dead last.

Their first action after crossing the finish line was to congratulate Jack with the win, before Duncan and Pete teased Cooper who was still struggling to get out of the low go-kart.

"See?" Pete chuckled, pointing to the offending kart, "You're too big for this…"

"No…" Coop answered in return, "I just don't wanna put my hand down on the engine while it's still hot to get up… So I'm just using a bit more time…"

Pete and Duncan wasn't buying into Coop's lie, but didn't comment it either.

Instead Duncan held out a hand and shrugged, "Think you can avoid fighting with that engine if you get a hand?"

Coop shrugged but reached out for the hand as he put his right foot as close to where he was sitting as possible, and moved his left foot as close as his knee would allow.

He got up, and after a couple of rather bad limps he straightened out and his left leg agreed to hold him.

"Shit, that looked bad…" Pete winced in sympathy, "Let me have a look at it…"

"It just stiffened up a little because I had it bent like that for about fifteen minutes…" Coop shrugged, "It has already eased up…"

"I should take a look at it."

"Hey, it's your day off, give it a rest…" Coop shook his head and waved it off, "My knees have been in far worse shape, and they've been good. Don't worry about it…"

Pete shook his head in an annoyed manner as Coop turned and headed over to the winner of the race to congratulate him. Then he turned to Duncan who stood right beside him, "Are you buying any of that?"

Dunc shook his head, "You know I ain't… But he's not limping much now again… So… I'm riding the fence about this one…"

"Yeah… Me too…" Pete said as he tilted his head to study how Coop moved, "Why is it that that guy is always way more cooperative once you actually get him into a cast?"

"-Or a sling…" Dunc shrugged.

"-Or get him on crutches…" Pete added.

Dunc nodded again, "Well, at least until he thinks he's all healed…"

Pete laughed, "Yeah… Until then…"

"You know, right when I was getting to know that giant, he almost ran me over on a skateboard." Dunc said looking over at Pete, "Have I told you that one?"

Pete shrugged, "I don't recall it…"

"He had obviously skated along the hallway in one of the main buildings where we were training. Skated out. Used either the mid-railing or the granite side railing to jump up and slide on I don't really know… –Landed less than three feet in front of where I was walking. Took a proper nosedive and toppled me all at once."

Pete chuckled, "I don't have any problem imagining that."

"Dude already had one arm in a cast…" Dunc rolled his eyes, "Shouldn't be on a skateboard in the first place, much less doing rails and tricks and stuff…"

"Well, how did it go?"

"Oh… -It went well…" Dunc shrugged, "We both got a few bruises but nothing more than that… -And the first laughable story out of many… After I kinda cussed him out, but… You can't stay mad at that guy for long, now can you?"

Pete nodded, "Yeah, there are some guys you just click with…"

"Who's your click-pal?" Dunc asked and looked in Pete's direction, "I know you're good friends with basically anyone you meet, but…"

Pete shrugged, and answered somewhat somberly, "Guess one of my childhood buddies stood for that role…"

"Not here anymore?" Duncan asked gently and looked at the ground.

"No… He didn't get to see the 2000's…" Pete shook his head, "Got in with bad company in high school, and even worse when he started college. Overdosed on his 22nd birthday…"

"Ouch… I'm sorry man…"

Pete nodded, "We had lost contact a few years prior, but still… Up to second year in high school, we did everything together."

Dunc nodded, lost for words.

"But hey, enough about that. We're going to have fun tonight, right?"

Dunc chuckled hesitantly before he nodded. "You've got it!"

"Good! Let's go have fun!"

 **Okay, think I'm going to end this chapter right about here. On to the next one…**


	113. Chapter 113

**Okay here we go again…**

About half an hour later they were at a small airstrip outside of the city. Skydiving was next on Boxer's list of things he was going to put the guys through on Jack's bachelor party.

"Isn't this expensive…" Nick asked as he tilted his head looking at the small plane they were going to enter once he also had gotten instructions of what to do.

"Well, let's just say I put most of the non-alcohol activities of today together by calling in a few favors…" Box chuckled, "I've got a lot of people owing me favors…"

"How?"

Jack grinned towards his twin, "Let's just say that Box and the rest of this team used to be some of the best in what we did. You get someone out of a tight enough situation, they might… Give you some sort of gift card if they're in the position to give it…"

"I don't really see how someone would give away skydiving for a whole group…"

Box shrugged, "Might have saved the guy who run this company's ass on more than one occasion…"

"Phil?"

"Phil." Box nodded.

"You know if he's here today? It's been too long since we all had a beer together…" Jack said looking around the lot.

"He's going to jump tandem with your brother…" Box grinned, "But he's working until 8pm, so we're going to have to take a raincheck on those beers…"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, skydiving and alcohol sounds like a bad mix…"

Box nodded too, "But skydiving, _then_ alcohol… That sounds like a good setup for a bachelor party…"

Jack nodded, "True."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So, Pete…" Coop said crossing his arms in front of his chest, "Are you jumping…?"

"Of course!" Pete grinned, "Not every day I get the chance anymore…"

"Well, it wasn't every day back then either…"

"No… But it was more often than it is now…" Pete shrugged, "I've missed it."

Coop chuckled, "Yeah, it's great fun!"

"Especially when you don't have to worry about getting spotted, or taken out before you land…" Duncan shot in, "I'm all for jumping, but that time hanging under those sheets, man… It can be nerve-wracking…"

Coop nodded, "And that ever present fear that your main won't open in a HALO jump… You've most likely got enough time to use your reserve, but it's not gonna be fun and you might take a hard landing…"

Pete nodded, "I remember Charlie did that once… He didn't like HALO jumps much after that…"

"Why have I never heard of this…" Coop chuckled and glanced down at Pete.

"Oh, cause he kinda told us not to tell you about it." Pete grinned, "I kinda just figured all those do-not-tell ended with him…"

Coop nodded, "Let's say that…"

"Anything else Coop doesn't know that we'd all like to know?" Dunc leaned back to make eye contact with Pete behind Coop's back.

"Yeah, tons of stories…" Pete nodded, "Usually just recall them when something reminds me about specifics…"

Coop grinned, "Can't wait to hear 'em…"

"Well, for one, he was better at Texan accents than you are…" Pete chuckled, "But that's no secret."

Coop chuckled and shook his head, "Of course…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac took a shaky breath as he weighed the parachute backpack he was given in his hands. He had pretty much always been afraid of heights, and skydiving was no exception.

Of course, he had done it. Lots of times. In the military and in his current job. He had even done it with a homemade parachute on a couple of occasions. The last time had taken place not a month ago even.

But going up in a plane, just to jump out of it wasn't exactly his idea of fun.

He looked over at Bozer, who was staring at the 'chute with almost as much dread as him.

"Hey man, you don't have to if you don't want…" he offered up, hoping that his friend would chicken out and give him reason to stay on the ground.

"No." Bozer shook his head, "I want to do it… I kinda liked it when we tried it in spy-school…"

"Then why do you look like you're trying to swallow a whole egg?"

Bozer shrugged, "Kinda a little afraid to jump with a whole bunch of badasses… What if they mock me for being the first one to open?"

Mac almost couldn't hold himself from laughing, "Trust me, they won't mock YOU for that…"

"No?"

"They might mock each other, or the instructor… I heard Box and Jack knew him for sure… They might even mock me…" Mac shrugged, "But they're not going to mock you…"

Bozer relaxed and looked back at the gear with a grin, "Alright then…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"No-no-no! You should not jump!" Duncan shook his head as he pressed a hand against Coop's chest to stop him before he got his gear on.

"Oh, I'm jumping…" Coop paused just enough to give Dunc a look that pretty much yelled 'get out of my way'.

"No." Dunc shook his head, "You've been limping ever since you fell down those stairs, you're not putting your leg through that."

"It's not that bad." Coop rolled his eyes, "I've done far more damage to my knees surfing… It's just a bit stiff, it'll be back to normal in a day or two…"

"Yeah, it might…" Dunc nodded, "Or you might mess it up when you land. You're not jumping when one of your legs ain't fit for fight…"

"Pete's jumping…" Coop shrugged, "Then I'm jumping too."

Duncan frowned and shoved Coop back forcefully enough to make him step back.

"Mad much?" Coop chuckled and continued to secure the parachute to his body, "Told you, my leg's basically fine already."

"Just… Be careful, alright?" Dunc almost steamed.

"Always."

"You're not known for being careful. Idiot."

Coop only laughed in response.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

His heart was pounding like crazy as the ground came closer and closer. He pulled, and the parachute opened wide above him. His heart kept on hammering at the same uncomfortable pace.

It didn't take many seconds before the others started opening their chutes either. Hopefully they hadn't noticed he was the first one. –But who cared, it wasn't like they were on a mission or anything either. No, he just wanted to be firmly back on the ground again. He liked it better down there.

That was the problem with opening early. You had so much time that needed to pass before you were back on solid ground. Way too much time.

He could see the person he figured was Duncan land, quickly followed by Coop and Jack. Apparently they liked the free-fall feeling, Mac had never understood why someone would enjoy that part of a jump. Actually, he didn't understand how anybody could enjoy any jump. Boxer had opened his parachute kinda in the middle ground, as had Bozer too. Pete and the instructor who had Nick in a tandem jump had opened rather early. It was of no surprise to Mac, he knew Pete enjoyed hanging around up here, he had mentioned it many times. Both when they were in uniform together, and after Pete was forced to change career.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Thought you opened a bit early there kid…" Boxer chuckled and patted Mac on the back as he gathered up his chute.

"You know I hate this…" Mac answered in defense.

"Yeah…" Box nodded, "You could've just stayed on the ground y'know…" there was a slightly teasing tone in his voice revealing that if Mac had done that he would never have heard the end of it.

"Yeah, right…" Mac chuckled, "You know, I might actually sign you up for an educational class on beekeeping if you don't play it nice…"

Boxer's grin faded as he shook his head, "No, forget it… I'm not getting into no bee-suit just to deal with those fuckers."

Mac grinned, "Well, at least you're not allergic to them."

Box nodded, "They're not to be messed with anyway."

"Bees aren't too bad, some kinds of bees are actually pretty calm."

"Nope." Box shook his head, "They're good for honey, but other people can take care of that…"

"Now, wasps on the other hand…"

"Let's not talk about those bewinged devils." Box frowned, "They're bad news with wings, that's what they are. Good for nothing too!"

Mac chuckled. "Now, am I gonna hear anymore about 'opening early' tonight?"

"Not from me…" Boxer waved a hand dismissively, "As sure as you left the plane first, I'm good with it…"

Mac grinned and watched as Boxer retreated to the rest of the group. It had it's positive sides to know what set the so called 'badass' Delta's on edge.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Man, are you sure you're alright?" Dunc worried as they all climbed into the car that would take them to the first place they were going to wet their throats at.

"Yes mom…" Coop answered in an exaggerated tone, "I'm good. The landing didn't hurt my knee, just as I figured it wouldn't…"

"Absolutely sure?"

"Yes." Coop shook his head, "You worry too much."

"Maybe I do…" Dunc admitted, "But only cause you act like it's not in your dictionary…"

Pete chuckled in his seat and elbowed Mac gently. "How long do you figure those two have been married?"

Mac couldn't help but let out a short laugh at the burn, especially when it came from the only one in their group that had actually been in a relationship for more than a decade.

"I don't know Pete…" Mac grinned, "Must be longer than you and Becky…"

"Yeah, I was guessing the same thing…" Pete grinned and his eyes lit up.

"Man, those two can really argue about anything… Can't they?" Bozer leaned forward and joined Pete and Mac's conversation.

"They just came home…" Pete shrugged, "I remember I could be pretty fed up with pretty much anyone on the team towards the end of each tour…"

Mac shrugged but nodded, "Yeah, I remember those two…"

"Jack and Box?"

"Yeah…" Mac nodded, "I remember them getting kinda grumpy the last couple of weeks."

Pete nodded, "Just be glad you never met the full older trio… I swear, you could switch them out with pissed off rattlers and it wouldn't have made that much of a difference. –But, then again, that was at the end of a double tour…"

"Jeez…" Mac chuckled, "I don't ever want to experience that…"

Pete nodded, "Was one of my early years… Coop and Dunc hadn't made it to our league yet… And it was way too much to do for us. We barely got to rest up between ops. We were running on caffeine and not much else, I swear walking into our little place was walking into a second warzone on your own risk without backup."

Mac nodded. "So, you think Dunc and Coop are alright?"

Pete nodded, "Yeah, they just need to come back down on American soil first. But I get why Dunc's acting like he is…"

Mac nodded, "Yeah. I think I recall a few times Coop could have handled himself with better care…"

Pete nodded, "And some people never change…"

"Well, at least our trusty medic is near tonight…"

Pete chuckled, "Yeah. But I think I made the mistake of leaving my kit back at 'base'…"

"Well, how much trouble can five grown Delta's, one ex-EOD, a Bozer and a CSI get into?"

Pete chuckled, "Guess we'll figure that out…"

Mac nodded.

 **Okay. Next chapter.**


	114. Chapter 114

**Okay… Let's go!**

Boxer grinned as he looked out at what he had accomplished so far that evening. They were currently on their way to the second bar of the evening, and everyone looked like they were having a great time.

Pete, Duncan, Coop and Bozer were discussing food with like the world depended on their own favorite to be deemed the best out of the three.

Boxer wasn't surprised by that. But he was kinda interested if they could agree if Pineapple should be a part of pizza or not. He didn't really have an opinion on that himself, he hadn't tested that particular combo. Pizza was alright, but it didn't stand a chance against BBQ. Not that he would ever willingly get into a tipsy food debate with those three, or four, now that Mac's buddy had joined in. He knew one thing that wouldn't get settled in tonight's discussion, because it had been debated over and over again for as long as Pete and Duncan had known each other. Deep dish Chicago style or thin slice New York style.

Who the heck had managed to put three operators from the homes of three very different pizza styles in the same group in the first place anyway? It could lead to some endless discussions.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"No-no-no… NO… Listen up here, the absolute best pizza has to be either mom's homemade pizza. She makes this perfectly thick and soft pizza with with tomato sauce, a bunch of minced meat, corn, onion, pineapple and peppers. And loaded with cheese on top… That's real food. -OR- A thin crust pizza with less sauce, cheese under what goes on top, some spicy-ish chicken, pineapple and pesto. –And it's really good if you add avocado after it's done too…"

"Ewwww… No!" Pete grossed, "It should be illegal to put pineapple on a pizza!"

"No, it belongs there!" Coop waved a hand dismissively.

"No, it's like raping the pizza!" Pete shuddered, "Pineapple has nothing to do near pizza. Nope!"

"I agree with Pete…" Dunc nodded, "Not as passionately, but… Pineapple on pizza is… Not meant to be…"

"Oh shut it…" Coop chuckled, "It's some of the best."

"And speaking of things not supposed to go on pizza…" Pete picked up his pace so he would be able to turn around and walk backwards in front of them, "Avocado? Really?"

"Yeah." Coop nodded and looked toward Bozer for support, hoping that his fellow Californian would take his side, "It's really freaking good!"

"Can't be!" Dunc shook his head, "Avocado is alright… But not good enough to put on a pizza…"

"Come on Boze…" Coop shrugged, "What's your opinion?"

"All pizza is good, Californian pizza is great. Only pizza I don't fully support is that thing they serve at Jack's favorite pizza place." Bozer shrugged, "I mean, the man has been pretty much all over the world… And he likes that thing the best? He's been to most of the big pizza capitals of the world, and he likes that thing that basically drips fat?"

Coop chuckled, "Blame it on him being Texan, but don't let him hear ya…"

Bozer chuckled.

"But, back to the question, kid…" Pete looked at Bozer, "Pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?"

"Yay…" Bozer shrugged, "It's sweet and yummy. What's not to love?"

"The consistency!" Pete threw his hands up in frustration, "The consistency is all wrong for pizza!"

"And avocado?" Dunc frowned as he looked over at Bozer, "Where do you stand?"

Bozer shrugged a little, "Might have to pass on the avocado…"

"HAH!" Dunc twisted around and bumped his fist into Coop's shoulder, "See? Avocado should definitely not go on pizza!"

"He prolly doesn't even like avocado…" Coop shrugged, "Do you Boze?"

"Not pure avocado…" Bozer shrugged, "Love it as guacamole and in other stuff, but not without mixing it with other stuff…"

Coop shook his head, "You're weird…"

"Hey, it's not weirder than people who like ketchup, but don't like tomatoes…" Bozer shrugged.

"Fair…" Coop shrugged, "But really, it goes really well with pizza."

Pete shook his head. "No. Can't. And FYI, the best pizza is a thin crust pizza that you need to fold to eat without causing yourself too much trouble. And it should have tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni."

"You're all wrong…" Dunc shook his head, "Deep dish, that's where it's at."

"Mom's pizza usually ends up being a cross between medium thick crust flat pizza and deep dish…" Coop shrugged.

"Your mom's pizza is good, I'll admit that." Dunc nodded, "Without the pineapple pieces…"

Coop chuckled, "Why do you guys hate pineapple so much?"

Dunc shrugged, "I don't hate pineapple, it just don't belong on pizza! And the sauce is supposed to be on top, with the cheese on the bottom, directly on the dough."

Pete shook his head, "You're mad, I'm pretty sure that goes for all of Chicago too…"

Dunc chuckled, "Says you? With that floppy useless pizza that you have to fold to actually eat?"

Pete shook his head, "That's how you're supposed to eat it! Unless you're in Italy, then you eat with a knife and fork. But that's a whole other class of pizza's. I swear, a good Margherita pizza is some of the best you can get. But we were discussion our favorite go-to's right?"

Coop shrugged and nodded, "Sure."

"We should make a poll to figure out what's the best, deep dish or those things you two claim to be pizzas. –I'm positive deep dish would win by a landslide." Dunc jabbed an elbow at Coop, "But homemade pizzas doesn't count, because it's not like most of California has had the chance to stop by your parents place for a slice…"

"You've gotta admit, it's good." Coop shrugged.

Dunc nodded, "Yeah, is that what you consider pizzas in Norway?"

Coop shrugged, "Like, they have a couple of pizza chains, and they serve things similar to what you get in chains here… But both mom's and dad's family make similar-ish pizzas so…? I don't know, could be coincidence?"

Dunc shrugged, "Anyway, it's decent. Except for the pineapple pieces…"

Coop rolled his eyes, "It's pizza! There should be something to break up the… Whatever. It belongs there!"

"No… Ranch belongs to pizza." Dunc held a warning finger up, "Pineapple belongs on fruit trays and in some salads."

Coop stopped a little, and shrugged. Then he caught up the two-three steps the others had taken without him. "Ranch dressing is great with pizza, but plain sour cream is also good… And pineapple is good to pretty much most things."

"Did you have a problem multitasking there, or what?" Dunc chuckled, "Had to stop to think or something?"

Coop blushed a little, "…Maybe? –Blame it on the shots."

"Dude, it's way too early to blame anything on the alcohol…" Pete chuckled, "Especially with your metabolism. Just face it, you can't multitask sometimes!"

"That's not true…"

"Who is the one who stops in the middle of staircases for five to ten seconds, before he continues up or down them? Huh? On a pretty regular basis considering the last time we all stayed at Boxer's place?"

"It's not that often." Coop frowned, "And it's a good idea to stop, so that if you forgot something you should've brought with you, you won't have to take the whole staircase all over again…"

"Says the man who will without a doubt voluntarily run or jump up and down those tribune stadiums whenever he gets the chance…" Duncan rolled his eyes and laughed, "I swear, the dude doesn't like regular running much, but up the difficulty a few notches and he's all for it."

Coop shook his head, "What? It's something me and my pre-military mates used to compete each other with… And it's kinda fun to challenge yourself like that…"

"Yeah? Right you masochist…" Duncan chuckled.

"Says the man who enjoys running, even in the desert? People aren't meant to move that fast when it's that hot!"

Duncan chuckled, "Whatever, I could barely walk for three days after you and that other dude made me go along for one of your workouts. I found muscles in my legs I didn't know existed! And I've been doing parkour and free-running since… Since I can remember. Since before I knew there were names for it."

Coop chuckled, "Well, me and Troy, we've been on boards since we could keep our balance on them… And before I got really big we used to have a lot of fun at the local skate park. We kinda found a few things we could practice on so that we wouldn't roll our ankles and knees as much…"

"How's that working out for you now by the way? You're still limping from yesterday…"

"I'm not limping bad…"

"No… but you're limping…"

"I slammed my knee into one of the stairs, and landed awkward when I finally made it to the ground…" Coop rolled his eyes, "It's not bad, it just… Aches a little bit. It'll pass in a few days."

"I'm just hoping you're right about this one…" Dunc sighed.

"I am." Coop shrugged.

Pete grinned for himself and looked up at Cooper, then at Dunc, "What do you say, think we can get our giant shitfaced tonight?"

"Pete, you remember what happened the last time you uttered those words?" Dunc tried to frown, but ended up breaking out laughing.

Pete nodded, "We found out Coop think he's about kitten size when he's drunk as heck…"

"I don't…"

"You do…" Dunc chuckled, "We found you curled up in an impossible position, sideways, in a lawnchair…"

"I can't get into that position…" Pete grinned, "And I'm a practically a foot shorter than you…"

Coop grinned, "Yeah, we all know you're short…"

"Shut up." Pete scowled.

 **Okay, let's get on to the next chapter, and see what I'm gonna post there…**


	115. Chapter 115

**Okay… Now let's start having some real fun, alright? Let's just skip forward a couple of hours… *evil laughter***

"Anyone seen Pete the last couple of minutes?" Coop asked as he almost fell into the chair beside Mac, "Guy has a tendency to pull a Houdini once he gets enough in his system…"

Mac nodded, "Went to get himself another glass of something."

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I've got an eye on his back… He's finally getting to the bartender… Or, at least soon…"

Box chuckled, "One thing's for sure, he doesn't know how to use his elbow's or his handicap to get to the front of the line…"

"Hell, even I am better at getting through to the bartenders…" Bozer chuckled, "And I'm not the same level badass as you guys are…"

"Oh, you're doing alright…" Coop grinned, "I'm pretty sure you get your share of oh shit moments doing what your group does anyway…"

Bozer nodded, "I'm pretty sure you've all been dragged along on some of Mac and Jack's crazy ideas…"

Coop and Duncan chuckled grimly, Coop nodded.

"Hey, how about some tequila?" Coop suddenly tapped a hand against the tabletop, "Pretty sure I could go over there and be back here about the same time as Pete…"

"Bet you ten bucks you can't…" Duncan grinned.

"So? How does that sound?"

"Great!" Jack grinned.

"See you in a few." Coop grinned.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"How the hell did you get through to the bartender so fast?" Pete scowled at Coop as they sat down by the others at the same time.

"Oh, one of the tricks is going for the bartender who looks like they might fancy you in one way or another, and I have a suspicion the guy you were headed for was pretty straight. I also have a suspicion that the girl I went to also was pretty straight…" Coop grinned as wide as he could, "Second, helps being taller than pretty much everyone. But, I don't know… You could try walking a bit unsteady and blame your missing leg, that could help for you…"

"Screw you…" Pete scowled.

Cooper grinned, "Now, bottom's up guys! Let's have a good time!"

"You're planning on a good time, and you choose tequila?" Pete chuckled, "That's the recipe for waking up in a ditch with your pants as a scarf…"

Coop chuckled, "Speaking from experience?"

Pete nodded.

"So? You don't want one?" Dunc chuckled.

"No, give it to me!" Pete smirked, "It burns good. Me likey…"

Coop chuckled and nodded, "Me likey too…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Forty minutes later, Jack cleared his throat and pointed to the main door of the next bar they were in. They had shared a round of Jäger on Box, and a round of Fireball that Nick bought. "Think I just saw our short drunken adventurer head out the door on his own…"

"Oh crap…" Cooper frowned and got to his feet.

"Coop, Dunc…" Jack pointed between the two of them, "You two go after 'im…"

"We'll come too… Soon as we get out of this booth…" Box shrugged and slammed a hand down at Mac's shoulder, causing the younger man to jump a little.

Coop gave a quick thumb up before both him and Dunc bounced.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Oh, CRAP!"

Duncan skidded to a stop at the sound of his best friend making impact with the asphalt. He quickly turned around and saw Coop rolling to a stop. The Californian had one hand guarding his knee as he pushed himself to a sitting position. A mild grimace plastered across his face.

"Shit, you good?"

"Yeah, 'm fine!" Coop spat, then he pointed in the direction they had seen Pete round the corner as they got out of the bar, "Go get the freaking adventurous hobbit!"

"…That's a new one…" Dunc shrugged to himself as he turned back around and sprinted after Pete again.

Dunc made it around the corner just in time to see Pete's sky blue shirt take a right a couple of blocks down.

"Damn Pete…" he sighed to himself, "Why do you go off on your own like this…?"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Mac and Box made it just outside the fence of the club when they saw one of their own sitting on the ground a block further south.

"Damn…" Box grumbled, "Is that Coop?"

Mac squinted to make out the form better, then nodded, "I think it is..."

"Looks like he could be hurt…" Box frowned, before breaking out running in Coop's direction, Mac right behind him.

They made it over to where Coop was sitting in a time that would impress anyone who knew how drunk they really were.

"Hey man, what are ya doin' on the ground?" Box asked putting a hand on Coop's shoulder.

Coop shook his head and took a deep breath, "Tripped."

"Are you hurt?" Mac asked as he knelt down on the other side of Coop, eyeing the way Coop's big hands were gingerly wrapped around his left knee for support, even though his leg was lying still and he showed no intention of moving it.

Coop nodded.

"How bad, son?" Box squeezed Coop's shoulder a little, bringing the big man's attention towards him.

"Not really sure…" Coop shrugged a little, "Hurts. And moving it hurts worse."

Mac nodded, "Think you might have made some real damage?"

Coop shrugged, biting down on his lower lip a little. "I don't know little brother…"

"Well, guess then…" Box nudged, "Should we get you to the hospital?"

"No…" Coop shook his head, "Just… Give me a hand up and help me over to the bar again. Prolly won't be as bad if I get to ice it down a little. Might want to opt for crutches tomorrow, but it doesn't really feel broken either…"

Boxer shrugged, "Well, you're drunk… Might feel worse tomorrow…"

Coop nodded, "Yeah. Probably."

Box tsked, "Is it same pain as earlier? Same place?"

"Yeah… Pretty much…" Coop nodded, "Help me up, alright?"

"Sure, big guy…" Mac nodded, stood up and extended his hand, waiting for Box to do the same.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Rebecca, Jessica and Ruby were standing in a little group discussing what club to go to next when a guy ran past them, laughing from the top of his lungs.

"Well, that guy's having fun…" Jessica commented.

Ruby nodded, "Sure is…"

"Is he missing a leg?" Rebecca frowned and tilted her head as if it would help her see him clearer.

"He couldn't be running if he was missing a leg…" Ruby rolled her eyes.

"He is…" Jessica chuckled, "He's got a prosthetic leg."

"Wait, what?" Ruby frowned and squinted in an attempt to see the laughing, running guy before he made a left at the end of the block. "Shit, you're right! He is!"

"He's got some good speed…" Rebecca shrugged, "Hardly think Johnny in my Calculus class could keep up with him…"

"The handsome as sin track guy?" Ruby's eyes opened wide, "You've got to introduce me to him sometime… I need to know him…"

"She wants to…" Jessica sing-song'ed.

"Yeah… She's on…" Rebecca grinned, "I'll try to get him to go to my next party… But he's like 90 percent nerd and doesn't party much, from what I gather…"

"Worth a shot…" Ruby winked.

All three young ladies froze up when a taller shape ran directly towards them with determined steps.

The tall guy stopped right next to them, leaned down with his hands on his knees and heaved for air. A few seconds later he stood back up so that they could see his face.

He had a good face, but the scar running down the left side of his face, curving from his hairline to the corner of his lip, made him look a lot rougher than he would look without it.

"Hey, excuse me ladies…" he grinned a smile that would have made Rebecca swoon if it wasn't for the scar, okay, maybe even with the scar. He was still a little out of breath, "Have any of you guys by any chance seen a one legged lunatic running by you. Drunk off his ass, no doubt…"

The three girls looked at the man, then at each other, then back at the man again.

Rebecca was the first one to recover enough to make any kind of answer, she pointed down the street, "He took first left…"

"Thank you Miss…" the man winked and looked down the street, "He gets a bit adventurous when he reaches this level of drunk… And I'm on babysitting duties…"

Rebecca chuckled, and the man smiled again.

"Once again, thank you…" the man nodded and tipped his head before he took off running full speed in the direction she had showed him, then he yelled from the top of his lungs, "PETE!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took him eight more minutes before he caught up to Pete and was able to tackle him to the ground.

The New Yorker was still laughing when they rolled to a stop.

"Man… You're too fast for a guy missing a good part of his leg… We might have to place a tracker on you soon…" Duncan said before taking a deep breath, then as an afterthought he added, "Or… We could confiscate your leg…"

"Thought I remembered you as a better runner…" Pete laughed as he got up on all four.

Duncan chuckled, "I blame the Jägermeister Box bought… It started using the elevator a couple of times…"

Pete shuddered, "That's gross…"

Dunc nodded, "Yeah, but I still had to catch up to you…"

"I was doing just fine…"

Dunc shook his head, "No… Next thing we know, you could get hit by a bus or brought in to the police station for some shit…"

Pete chuckled, "Relax, I've got control…"

"No…" Duncan shook his head, "By the way, you shouldn't be allowed large quantities of alcohol… -You get way too much wanderlust from it…"

"I just took a little run…"

"A little?" Dunc frowned, "This counts as at least half a workout!"

"Okay, guess it does…" Pete nodded, seeming to sober up a little after the tackle.

"Hey, let's go back to the others, make sure we don't miss anything, alright?" Dunc offered as he stood up, "And please don't make me run more drunk tonight…"

Pete nodded as he also stood up, "Okay, I'll try."

Duncan nodded and hooked his elbow around Pete's neck. "You're not going anywhere other than back to the team now, at least…"

"Sir, yes Sir…" Pete chuckled, "Man, you sound out of breath…"

"Still fighting a bit with my stomach contents, thank you…"

"Copy that…" Pete frowned, "Please keep it on the inside…"

"Don't run off, and I might make good on that…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"No. You two are not getting in here…" the bouncer said folding his arms over his chest, doing his best to look determined as the day was long.

"Just for a little while…" Duncan pleaded, "Rest of our team is in there, I just had to go catch this marathon runner."

"You've been running?"

Duncan nodded, "Yeah."

Pete nodded too.

"You're not on something?"

"I'm drunk, that's it." Dunc answered, "If I took anything else, I would have a big problem doing my job…"

The guard didn't look like he was buying the explanation fully.

"Look, we've got six guys in there. Two, no… Three kinda old guys, compared to the rest of the people in there… One giant blond guy who's probably thinking he can dance considering how many units of alcohol he's had tonight, one shorter and generally smaller blond dude, and one brother about his size…" Duncan said pointing at Pete, "Maybe even a bit shorter…"

"I remember the big guy…" the bouncer said, "Looks like he's got a bad leg?"

Dunc nodded, "That would be him…"

The bouncer frowned and looked at the two of them. Duncan had sweat beading on his forehead, and his shirt was sitting a little odd from the running and the tackle he had performed on Pete. But at least he didn't have noticeable stains on his shirt, thanks to the color. Pete on the other hand, bore evidence that he had been tackled.

"Look, I can let you in, but your friend has gotta stay out here…"

Duncan cussed soundlessly and looked from Pete to the club entrance. "Man, he's just gonna run away…"

"I won't…"

"Yeah, I don't trust you…" Dunc sighed, then turned to the bouncer, "Could you look- wait a minute…"

Without any sort of warning, he bent down and forced Pete's fake leg up off the ground and unceremoniously yanked the prosthetic off. With an apologetic shrug he looked at Pete, "Wait here… -Stay…"

Pete scowled at him as he hopped around on one leg to keep his balance.

"I'll be sure to be quick, give me five minutes to gather the troops if everything goes well."

"Woof…" Pete fake-barked as he folded his arms, "Man, you suck…"

"You'll get this back, promise…" Dunc shrugged and twirled the prosthetic around a little.

The bouncer couldn't keep from letting out a low laugh.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, time to gather up the team and head to the next place…" Dunc said as he met Boxer right inside, "I caught Pete…"

He held up Pete's blade as if to show off a trophy, before he continued, "Start gathering everyone… Pete's not getting in here, and I kinda didn't either…"

Boxer nodded, "Alright, but Coop's gonna need help."

"Help?"

Box nodded, "Think he blew out his knee. For real this time…"

Duncan winced in sympathy, "How bad is it?"

"He couldn't step down on it when we helped him back in here. Sat him down in a booth over there to have his leg up. Got him some ice…"

"Well, how did it look?"

"You have eyes. You know the lighting in here is worth shit…" Box rolled his eyes, "Haven't taken a look at it yet."

Duncan nodded, "Alright, you go find the rest of the team, tell them we need to get going ASAP. I'll go check on Coop, see how he's doing…"

Boxer nodded, "I'll come by to help you with him when I've sent the others out. Jack's not up for supporting our hulk-sized operator just yet, I know he's back in field, but he's drunk…"

Duncan nodded in agreement.

"And Nick doesn't exactly have the same alcohol tolerance as Jack and I… So we're lucky if he can walk outta here by himself…"

Dunc let out a short laugh, "And Mac's too skinny, and Boze is…"

"-Short?"

Duncan nodded.

"Mac could probably…"

"Yeah, but I'd feel a lot safer if I know that the other one supporting Coop can actually look like he can carry his weight without question…" Dunc swallowed, "If he's messed up his leg already, like, bad… I don't want him to faceplant because one of us is too weak…"

Box nodded, "I get it…"

Dunc nodded too, and patted Box on the shoulder, "Okay, hurry up."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Finding Cooper was pretty easy. Only thing he had to do was to walk along the walls with booths, and look for the familiar Delta. It only took him half a minute.

"Hey bro…" he winked as he slid in the opposite side of the booth from Cooper.

"Yo." Coop answered in a clipped tone.

"Heard you messed your knee up worse…"

Coop nodded, didn't say anything.

"We have to get outta here now, Pete doesn't get to go back in…"

Coop nodded.

"Box will come by here once he's kicked the other messes out… We're gonna help you out, alright? Does that sound like a good idea?"

"No…" Coop shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Involves moving…" Coop flashed a smile that was more of a grimace, letting Duncan know exactly how bad his leg had to feel.

"Damn Lurch…" Duncan frowned as he stretched in an attempt to get a look at Coop's knee from the other side of the table, "You really did a number on it, didn't ya?"

Coop tried forcing a laugh, but it failed, "You know… You're not… -All that great at… -Texan. Either…"

"Was mimicking you…" Dunc smirked, "We should get you to the hospital… Have a doctor take a look at that knee…"

Coop shook his head, "No… Probably just his something similar to that point in your elbow that sucks to bump… Probably hurts a lot less soon."

Dunc shook his head.

"Whatever it is, it isn't dangerous. And I can still feel my leg…" Coop rushed, "If it's nothing, it'll feel better tomorrow… If not, it won't be more of a problem to get me to a doctor tomorrow than tonight. Besides, ER's on Saturday night… Been there, done that…"

Duncan nodded, "Alright… But the two of us are going straight home… No matter what the others plan on doing…"

Coop nodded, "Best idea I've heard all night…"

"I'm not sure I'm gonna give this back to Pete first, or if I should just keep it until tomorrow…" Dunc smirked and held up Pete's prosthetic in an attempt to cheer Coop up a little.

"You actually took the prosthetic from an amputee?" Coop raised an eyebrow, "What are you? Who are you? Rocket?"

"Yes, Groot…" Duncan nodded with a satisfied smirk, "I'm Rocket…"

At that Coop couldn't help from letting out a small laugh, "You're twisted…"

Duncan shrugged and was just about to reply when Boxer made it back to them.

"Hey, ready to get outta here?"

"Not really…" Coop shrugged, "But I've been told we have to…"

Boxer nodded, "Yeah… Me and the other guys discussed it, and we decided we'd just head on home to Jack's now. If anyone feels like drinking more, he's got enough for that… But my guess is that a few of us could use a little rest too…"

Coop nodded, "Rest sounds awesome all of the sudden…"

Box nodded, then pointed to Coop's knee, "How's that bag of ice? Want me to ask them to fill up a new one?"

"Nah… It's still mostly ice…" Coop shrugged, "It's doing it's job…"

"Okay, good." Boxer nodded, "Let's get you up…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took them a little bit longer time to get back outside than Dunc would have thought to begin with. And Boxer hadn't been joking when he said Coop couldn't step down on his leg. A drunk person, being supported by two equally drunk people, will accidentally need to help keep _their_ balance a time or two. And by the way Coop's breath hitched painfully and all of the muscles Dunc could feel from where he bad Coop's left arm over his shoulder, it really had to hurt. A lot.

"I think we better just try to get a taxi to come here directly…" Dunc mentioned, audibly struggling to keep Coop up and avoid the big man stepping down on his bad leg.

Boxer nodded, "Yeah, I agree. Neither of us is up for the task of getting _Too Tall_ over here over to any kind of cab stand…"

"I'm not too tall…" Coop gritted out before he let out a low, pained growl.

"You good buddy?" Dunc winced.

Coop shook his head a little, "Think I need a break…"

"You need to sit down?" Box asked and started looking around for somewhere Coop could sit down.

"Nah…" Coop shook his head and let out a heavy sigh, "Just need a break from hobbling along. I can stand."

"Okay…" Dunc nodded, "Whenever you're ready…"

Coop nodded, "Thanks…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"What took you guys so long?" Pete asked before he really saw how Box and Dunc were supporting Coop, "Shit, is he alright?"

"No." Coop grimaced, "My knee is… No bueno…"

"Huh?"

"Doloroso…" Coop added as he squeezed his eyes shut, before almost helplessly adding under his breath, "Man, it hurts…"

"Want me to take a look at it?" Pete quickly offered, momentarily forgetting that Dunc was still in possession of his prosthetic when he 'stepped' forward and fell flat on the pavement, "Damn you Duncan!"

A few of the guys laughed silently, but Coop was too drained to find the humor in Pete falling flat on his face. "No… What I need now is rest… And then maybe tomorrow you could take a glimpse at it…"

"I want to take a look at it when we get to Jack's place…" Pete informed as he pushed back up to a standing position, "Just to make sure it's not BAD-bad…"

Coop shrugged, "Alright, when we get to Jack's…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Pete's plan to check on Coop's leg was long forgotten when they actually made it to Jack's place. The last two drinks he had downed before his little run had decided to kick in full force during the taxi ride, and he was way more interested in drunkenly discussing baseball with Nick than anything else.

 **Okay, let's cut this off here.**


	116. Chapter 116

**Okay… Let's go…**

"Awww… Man…" Pete groaned as he turned around on the couch, "Anyone know what happened last night? My head is… Cotton-Lead…"

"Tequila…" Dunc grouched, his voice thick with a mix of sleep and hung-over-ness, "Tequila happened…"

"Sounds about right…" Pete sucked in a breath.

"Shhhh…" Mac hushed from where he was sprawled on the floor, a bit further from the couch and the table than Coop and Duncan, "M'head hurts…"

"You're not alone blondie…" Nick shuddered, slowly waking up more and more.

"Hey… Did we make it back to base everybody?" Boxer rumbled from the other end of the couch, "Or do we have someone MIA?"

"No…" Coop barely masked a wince, "-But I feel like I was 'Killed in Action…"

"Nope. You're still talking…" Duncan swallowed audibly, "You don't check off anything past the 'Wounded in Action' box… Speaking of which… My head hurts too…"

"Yeah mine too…" Bozer shot in, in an aggressive whisper.

"Medic!" Dunc ground out, "Medic! Got anything for hangovers?"

"Or really bad knees…" Coop added with a shaky breath.

"Oh, shit… Right." Pete propped up on one elbow, "Your knee… How's it feeling?"

"Banged the heck up…" Coop tried squinting over at Pete, "Been better…"

"Lemme take a look at it?"

Coop nodded, giving the New Yorker permission to do just that.

"Hey… Guys…" Pete stopped and dared to clear his voice, "-Has anyone seen my leg?"

"You left it in Afghanistan about a decade ago…" Dunc yawned.

"No, idiot…" Pete shot back before he let out a yawn of his own as he rubbed sleep out of his slightly puffy eyes, "The spare one…"

"Dunc took it so you wouldn't run off more last night…" Bozer barely whispered, like the sound of his own voice would cause him pain.

"I gave it to Box when we got here…" Duncan shuddered and curled up in a ball, "He hid it…"

"Well…" Pete looked from Dunc to Boxer, "Where is it now?"

Boxer pointed in a general direction, not committing enough to answering Pete to open his mouth and actually give him the answer.

"What the hell does that mean?" Pet frowned.

"Try under the kitchen sink…" Nick yawned, then winced and brought a hand to his head, "That's his M.O.…"

Pete sat up and looked in the general direction of the kitchen, "Guys, someone's gotta go get that leg for me…"

"Why?" Dunc groaned, "You have no problem keeping your balance on one leg…"

"No… That's true…" Pete shuddered, "But I might have a bit of a problem jumping out there and keeping my stomach contents inside at the same time."

"Oh…" Dunc shivered, "I see that…"

"You up for getting my leg for me?"

Dunc shook his head gently, his eyes squeezed shut, "Light hurts right now…"

"Anyone?" Pete groaned.

"Yeah…" Jack nodded as he sat up in the recliner he had slept in, letting out a short expletive as his head swam, "Who the hell decided Jäger was a good idea last night?"

"Seemed like it at the time…" Box winced, "And I didn't hear anybody complaining…"

"Personally I'm setting a bigger question mark to what would possess someone to add Fireball to that mix…" Coop moaned, "That's just evil…"

"Says the guy who started the round-sharing with a tray of Tequila?" shuddered Nick.

"Fair…" Coop hummed.

"Good thing is, we don't have anything to do today, except watch a bit of TV, and munch on chips…" Jack smirked.

"Drink Coke…" Box added as he held up a finger, "We're gonna drink Coke too…"

"I might have to go to the doctor…" Coop grimaced.

"Is your leg really that bad?" Jack asked, his voice filled with concern.

Coop nodded slowly. "I think I need to get some pictures taken of it… But if Pete could take a look at it first, that'd be nice…"

"Well someone's gotta give me my leg back first…" Pete frowned, "And caffeineate me…"

"Right…" Jack nodded gently as he pushed off the recliner and slowly headed to the kitchen, "Found it!"

"SHHHHHHH!" Mac groaned, "Not so loud…"

"Sounds like little brother had a rough night…" Coop grinned and tilted his head to look over at Mac.

"Mother of all headaches…" Mac grumbled and lazily flipped around to his stomach to bury his face in his arms.

Jack used a couple of minutes in the kitchen before he returned to the living room with Pete's leg, "Here… And coffee will be ready in five minutes."

"Strong?" Box asked as he lifted his arm away from his eyes and looked towards Jack.

Jack nodded, "Only thing that'll do today I think…"

"How are you feeling Coop?" Pete asked as he took the prosthetic from Jack and put it where it should be, at the end of his leg.

"Kinda hungover…" Coop sighed and looked back at Pete.

"Your leg, idiot…"

"Oh… Yeah… Hurts."

"Care to elaborate?"

Coop shrugged, "It's not the worst when I'm laying still, but it still hurts…"

Pete nodded and took in Coop's leg, "Well at least one of us figured it was a good idea to prop your leg up on a mountain of pillows…"

Coop nodded, "Yeah, think that was Jack's idea… Thanks by the way…"

"No problem…" Jack shrugged, "But I'm still sure it would've been better for you to lay on the couch…"

"Or a bed…" Pete added.

Coop shook his head, "Nah… The floor was just fine…"

"Probably would've been better for you on the couch though…" Pete repeated as he stood up and stepped over to where Coop was laying.

"I was already on the floor…" Coop shrugged, "And I certainly didn't want to be lifted or jostled around anymore right then…"

"Fair…" Pete nodded as he bent down a little, "Hey sorry to break it to ya… But it won't be possible to pull the leg of your jeans far enough up to take a look at that knee of yours…"

"Figured…" Coop sighed and started unbuttoning his pants. After struggling with the button and zipper a few seconds more than he was comfortable with, he let out a slightly nervous chuckle and cleared his voice, "Hey, anyone know why they always have to make the zippers on jeans on the wrong side?"

"Nope, you're the only one in here with that problem…" Dunc yawned, "The world is constructed against you, South Paw…"

"Sure feels like it sometimes…" Coop swallowed audibly, "Don't get me started on scissors and can openers…"

"Please. Don't…" Pete sighed, "We've heard all about it before. And the pants problem can't be that bad…"

"Would've been a little easier if my right didn't act like it needed to warm up like an old diesel engine in cold weather some mornings…"

"Is it still bothering you?" Jack frowned and looked towards Coop.

"Only when I haven't moved it in hours…" Coop let out a soft chuckle, "It doesn't hurt or anything, but it is clumsy… Like the connection between my brain and hand is a little fuzzy until I've worked some movement back into it… It's stiff."

"Hate to break it to you, but there's one thing that is acceptable being stiff in the mornings… And your hand ain't it…" Pete chuckled and sidestepped Coop's half-assed attempt at swatting his leg.

"Shut it…" Coop chuckled, unable to keep a smirk from creeping up on his lips.

"Usually starts working properly around the time he's finished his first coffee of the day…" Dunc shared with the group.

"Yeah, something like that…" Coop agreed as he finished unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans and pulled them down to a little above his knees, "That's as far as I can get them… My knee feels like it's trying to split apart when I tighten the muscle at the front of my thigh…"

Pete nodded, "You okay with me pulling it down the rest of the way?"

"As long as you're careful…"

Pete nodded and slipped a hand under Coop's calf, as gently as he could before he started to ease Coop's leg off the pillows. Freezing in his tracks when Coop growled and rapidly slapped a hand against Pete's knee like he was tapping out when sparring.

"What?"

"Down!" Coop gasped and motioned for Pete to put his leg back down on the pillows, "Down!"

"Alright…" Pete pressed his lips tight together as he lowered Coop's leg, "You couldn't push through that?"

He felt a little cruel asking that question when he saw how Coop's hands were balled up in fists, turning his knuckles white.

Coop shook his head and took a quick breath, "No, I swear man… Feels like my knee is ripping apart."

"Like, when weight pulls on it?"

"Sure…" Coop nodded.

"Your knee or your kneecap?"

Coop shrugged a little, "Knee… Kneecap… Not really sure…"

"Okay, let's try avoid bending it then, because if it is your kneecap, it's obviously haven't split apart yet, and we don't want it to split up if that's what's causing you pain…"

Coop swallowed hard, then nodded, "I'm all for not bending it… Or doing what you just did again…"

Pete nodded, "Jack, think you could help out supporting here?"

Jack nodded and stepped over to help.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack sucked in a sharp breath as Coop's knee was revealed, while Pete murmured a cussword.

"Man, this looks…" Pete shook his head, "What in the name of… What did you do to it?"

"Ran. Fell…" Coop winced as he propped up on his elbows to take a look at his knee, "That does look bad…"

Pete nodded, "You were limping already, how was it looking before this happened?"

"Bruised, swollen… Nothing like that though…" Coop admitted as he laid back down. "Remember that time Box messed up his elbow when we were visiting in Texas? Think it was 2006, 2007 or something?"

"Ow…" Box whined, "That really hurt…"

"When they brought us along to try rodeo riding, and Box got bucked in a nice arch?" Duncan guessed.

"Yeah…" Coop nodded, "It was that level blue, and that level swollen, if you translate it to a knee…"

Pete frowned, "And you were running on it…?"

"I didn't say it was the same level painful, now did I?"

Pete shook his head, "No… But… I'm pretty sure you went from something that would have been alright if you just gave it a little rest, to something that might need someone to open you up and piece something back together…"

Coop nodded, "Yeah… I was kinda thinking the same thing…"

"Great." Pete said sarcastically, "We agree… It's never good when we agree on these sort of things…"

"Agree on that one too…" Coop grimaced.

"Hey, I'll make a few calls… Hear with Matty if we can bring him in to…"

"Phoenix?"

Jack nodded, "And then Michelle to hear if she can drive him, cause none of us should get behind the wheel of anything with an engine today…"

Pete nodded, "I wanna tag along… Is that good with you buddy?"

Coop nodded, "Yeah, I would have asked you if you didn't get ahead of me…"

"Also, do you have sweatpants or shorts or something laying in your duffle in your room? Might be better to show up there with something that doesn't require you to strip down to your boxers to allow people to see your knee…"

"Think I've got both…" Coop nodded, "You know where I stay, right?"

"Yep."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Okay, you want the sweatpants, or the shorts that I guess must be hilariously short on you?"

"They're not hilariously short…" Coop sighed, "It's regular shorts… It's just not… Not board shorts…"

"Dude, they would go like… Mid thigh on me…" Pete chuckled, "Does that make them Daisy Dukes on you or something?"

"No…" Boxer shot in, "Daisy Dukes are denim… That red thing right there could star on Baywatch instead…"

"The 80's called, they wanted their shorts back…" Pete grinned in return.

"Guys… I'm already in pain… No need to roast me…" Coop sighed.

"And it's January for crying out loud, you don't need shorts in January!" Pete chuckled.

"It's warm enough for shorts…" Coop rolled his eyes, "Just give me one or the other, alright?"

Pete chuckled and tossed down the red shorts to Coop, "At least the rest of us might get a laugh out of it…"

"Hilarious…" Coop shook his head, "Care to help me get this on then? Or are you gonna have a laugh off that too?"

"No… Sorry…" Pete sighed, "I'm gonna behave now…"

 **Okay, let's end this chapter here…**


	117. Chapter 117

**Let's roll…**

"So… Did you talk to the other doctor? How does it look?" Coop asked as Pete came back to the room where Coop was.

"Well… Good news, bad news…"

"Good news first…"

"Well, the tendon tissue around your knees seem to be a bit thicker than we normally expect, it's almost like it's some sort of scar tissue that tries to protect your knees…"

"Well, duh…" Coop chuckled, "I've scraped the skin off them so many times it's pretty much just two big scars… There being scar tissue doesn't surprise me…"

"No, you don't get it…" Pete shook his head, "Deeper, like on tendon level…"

"M'kay…?"

"I'm gonna mix in the bad news a bit here too…" Pete shrugged, "You broke your patella, -and you have a Tibial plateau fracture…"

"That doesn't sound great…"

"No… It isn't…" Pete nodded, "But the thing with patella fractures, at least the kind you have, is that it has really quick for actually tearing apart and then you end up with one piece of patella up here and one piece of patella chilling somewhere a little south of where it usually sits."

"That's gross…" Coop frowned and offered his knee a disgusted look.

Pete nodded, "Yeah. But luckily all that beating your knees have taken through the years looks to have made your tendon tissue a bit enlarged and is a bit tougher. So our guess is that it is the only reason you don't have a valley going across your knee right now. But we don't know how strong that tissue might be, or if it's tough enough to hold you bending your knee much… I guess it could be considered scar tissue, but contrary to popular belief scar tissue is not stronger than normal tissue. But more tissue… Could be a bit stronger. We don't know, depends on the quality I think…"

Coop nodded.

"And it's too swollen for him to operate on today since it doesn't exactly qualify as anything life threatening, and you'd probably set off a breathalyzer still… So surgery will have to wait between one and two weeks…"

Coop let out a controlled sigh, and shook his head in disbelief. "So, am I stuck here in the meantime? Or?"

"I talked to the doctor, he said he would put you in a cast, and that you had to be careful not to use your thigh muscles to move your leg, but to lift it using your hands… We agreed that you could stay here if you felt like it, or that you could come back to Jack's place on the conditions that you have your leg up all of the time, knee above heart level. That you don't take longer trips than back and forth between the bed or couch and the bathroom for necessary business… And that you take your pain medication as prescribed."

"Okay…"

"We're talking no sitting around the breakfast table with your leg on a chair here…" Pete added, "We want to get that swelling down as fast as possible, and piece that patella properly back together…"

Coop nodded, "Okay, so you want me to lay down unless I'm on a bathroom trip…"

"Yes." Pete nodded, "That's exactly what we want."

"If it's okay with Jack and Michelle, I kinda don't wanna be here all alone…"

"You want to go back home to them?"

"Yeah… If it don't bother them…"

"Of course it won't…"

"You sure…?"

"Already talked to Michelle before I went in here."

"Okay, then…" Coop nodded, "How long before the doctor here comes in and wraps this leg up?"

Pete shrugged, "Got a visit from another team that needed a bit of care, told me to go talk to you. Let you know where we stood… He'll be by when he's done with the others, but he assured me that the guy who needed him was a lot easier to deal with than Jack so it probably won't take too long…"

"Are you scrubbing in when the time comes to fix this?"

"We were planning on that…" Pete nodded, "When it became clear that you wouldn't go through surgery today anyway…"

Coop nodded. "And how long before…"

"Before you're back?"

Coop nodded, "Yeah."

"Well, most people get back to regular activities in three to six months…" Pete shrugged, "But it will probably take a little longer before you're ready for Delta stuff…"

"That sucks…"

Pete nodded, "Hey, could always get a part time shuffling papers for the CIA…"

"Really?" Coop scoffed, "Me, and paperwork?"

The satisfied smirk plastered on Pete's face told Coop the shorter man already had thought it through.

"It's barely better than setting Jack to do paperwork…"

Pete grinned, "Yeah, only difference is that you're not made for sitting still like that, and he's not the best reader amongst us…"

Coop nodded, "Honestly, I don't think I'll have too much trouble sitting still now…"

"Oh, you'll be back to driving everyone who's trying to take care of you crazy in no time…" Pete chuckled, "And before that I suspect you're going to complain about having to lay still enough to cause Box and Dunc's ears to bleed."

"Not Jack and Michelle's?"

"Nah… They're used to a colicky baby by now…" Pete smirked, "I think they'll handle you too…"

"Fair…"

Pete nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It took a while before the doctor came by to put a his leg in a cast, but he didn't really mind the delay. He was in a comfortable position, and he had Pete to chat with, so everything was alright.

"So, yeah…" Pete grinned about a minute after their latest topic had died down, "Becky really scared me here a couple of months ago…"

"Yeah? How?"

"You know I love my kids, right?" Pete started, "And I'd go through hell to keep them safe, just point me in the direction and we're good, right?"

Coop nodded. "Yeah, I still get a good laugh out of it whenever my brain brings up the image of you getting that letter…"

Pete chuckled, "Yeah, I bet."

Coop nodded, "I mean, I think you went by everybody at that base to tell them your girlfriend was pregnant."

Pete nodded.

"Not to mention when you got the news that it was twins…"

Pete grinned, "Yeah."

"So? Becky scared you?"

"Yeah…" Pete nodded, "Look, I love my kids, but when I saw that Becky had bought a pregnancy test, my heart almost stopped. I swear, sometimes… If they didn't look so much like me, I'd swear Evel Knievel had something to do with the recipe for those two…"

"They are a real handful, aren't they?"

Pete nodded and let out a laugh, "You bet. And it's scary thinking about how it's only a few more years before they start driving. –Oh lord… I'm gonna be a nervous wreck when they start driving…"

Coop chuckled, "Relax, if they're anything like either you or Becky, they'll be fine…"

"Did you not listen?" Pete scoffed, "They could be the double re-incarnation of Evel Knievel… Three weeks ago I got a call from their school telling me that BOTH of my sons had climbed up on the school roof, and would not come down. They were too busy using the roof to play around and jump on…"

"Kids…" Coop chuckled, "Payback for everything you ever did as a kid…"

"I was never that bad…"

"That's what they all say…" Coop chuckled, "So you don't want more kids?"

"Oh…" Pete shrugged, "I'd be down for it… But, I'm getting older too. And just the thought of how old I would be when that kid left the nest…"

"Hey, lots of people are getting kids when they're in…" Coop stopped to choose his words, "In a mature age…"

Pete scoffed, "That's what you're calling it now?"

Coop shrugged, "I could call you old…"

"I'm not old…"

"We used to tease Jack and Box for being old… They were your age when we did…"

Pete shook his head and rolled his eyes a bit. "Seeing Jack with his little girl though… I kinda feel a bit jealous. Another one might not be so bad after all…"

"You're like peak family man…" Coop shrugged, "It's kinda weird that you and Becky only have two…"

Pete laughed a bit, and nodded.

"How about you? Plan on having kids one day?"

"I don't really know man… They're like…" Coop shrugged, "First like six years sounds like a lot of work and not much that seems fun…"

"Trust me, it's great." Pete smiled.

"Yeah… But…" Coop's hand went up to rub his neck, "They cry for everything, they won't go to bed when you tell them too, and you can't leave them on their own…"

Pete chuckled, "It's not all bad…"

"Yeah?"

"You'll get a crooked, beat up dandelion and everything will be just fine. You'll forget that the same kid was throwing the mother of all tantrums three minutes earlier." Pete smiled, "And drawings, you get a lot of drawings…"

"Look, you were made for being a dad…" Coop shrugged, "That's not the case for all of us."

"What are you talking about? You'd be a great dad!"

"Hate to break it to you, but I probably wouldn't…" Coop shook his head, "Like you guys have hinted to so many times through the years, you barely trust me to take care of myself sometimes… -I couldn't be responsible for another human being… Much less a tiny human being…"

"But I've seen you around kids, and you're just naturally good at it." Pete said changing his position in the chair he sat in, "Take my kids for example… You even got them to eat their broccoli one year when you visited, and they've liked it ever since… We never got them to eat that before…"

"Coincidence…"

"Nah-uh…" Pete shook his head, "I'd be willing to call it black magic, but not coincidence…"

Coop chuckled.

"But seriously…" Pete sighed, "You're not thinking about settling down, finding a girl and starting a family?"

"Nah… Not really."

"What about that girl you had a thing with way back when…" Pete shrugged, "The redhead one… Allie. You two seemed serious for a while…"

"Nah man…" Coop shook his head and pressed his lips to a thin line, "Nah… She got married a couple of years ago…"

"Oh… Shit, sorry…" Pete frowned, "Didn't know that. Didn't mean to bring her up…"

"Relax…" Coop waved a hand, "There's no hard feelings between us. We even check in on each other every now and then…"

"Oh yeah?"

Coop nodded, "Whenever I'm comin' home and shipping out… Asked her if I should quit once she got in that relationship. Asked again once she got married…"

"She wanted you to keep on?"

Coop nodded, "Yeah…"

"You like sending those texts?"

"Kinda…" Coop admitted, "Feels a bit good to know that she wants to hear I'm alive when I get back home…"

Pete chuckled, "Feels good to know that she wants to hear you're alive?…"

"Yeah…"

"You were in deep for her…"

Coop just shrugged, "Doesn't matter much now, does it?"

"Guess you're right…" Pete nodded, "But hey, you should start thinking about the future. Next generation…"

"Nah… It's not important to me…" Coop shook his head.

"Not?"

"Nah…" Coop shook his head again, "Put it like this, if the girl I end up with have kids already, that's great. I won't have to be on diaper duty…"

"Are you serious, or is this some kind of shield you're putting up?"

Coop flashed a short grin, "Oh… You'll never know…"

 **Okay. Let's put an end to this chapter.**


	118. Chapter 118

**Okay. Let's see what we can do here…**

It was a bit late when they finally made it back to Jack and Michelle's house. Late enough that the others that had been out in the town the night before had turned in already. And it was the only thing Coop wanted to do too. Get to bed, have his aching leg up on a mountain of pillows and catch some decent Z's.

He was kinda jealous of Pete who probably had found his bed already, since they had stopped by Mac's place and dropped him off there.

"Do you need help up the stairs?" Michelle asked as she watched Coop hobble from the car and over to the base of the stair.

"No…" Coop stopped in his tracks and shook his head, "Not my first time on crutches… I've got this…"

"Okay… It's just that it's hard to maneuver with a long leg cast sometimes…"

"I know… Not my first time with that either…" Coop smiled, "-I've got this, if you can take the door for me, then we're all good."

She nodded and walked up the stairs to hold the door open for him. Then she watched patiently as he made it up the stairs.

"Gotta say European crutches are easier in stairs though…" Coop chuckled as he made the top of the stairs, "Allows you to take more than one step at the time if you've got technique…"

"Sounds risky…" Michelle frowned.

Coop shook his head and shrugged at the same time, "Only fallen once by doing that…"

"You're not supposed to fall when you're already on crutches…"

"No, I know…" Coop chuckled, "But I think I could have fallen just as easily if I'd taken one step at the time… Wool socks, wooden stairs and crutches don't mix…"

Michelle scoffed, "Really? What would possess you to…?"

"It was winter, I was visiting some family in Norway. I had twisted my ankle playing around with some of my cousins. And you don't wear shoes inside when you're at aunt Frøya's place…"

"Ouch…"

"Yeah…" Coop nodded, "They found some non-slip inside shoes for me the next day…"

"Sounds like that was a good idea."

"Yeah. At least I avoided using the stairs as a slide after that." Coop grinned.

"That's good…" Michelle nodded as she followed Coop in and shut and locked the door.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It wasn't exactly hard for him to remember to use his hands to lift his leg like Pete and the other doctor had instructed him to. The mere thought of lifting his leg without that help made his knee hurt worse.

And he was grateful that Michelle took the time to find materials for a medium mountain of pillows for him. It wasn't like it would go quick if he was going to be the one to arrange that.

"Like that?" she asked as she helped ease his leg down on top of it, "Is that good?"

"Perfect. Thank you." Coop nodded, "And thanks for driving me today…"

"Hey, that's what friends are for…" Michelle chuckled, "Need anything else before I go to bed?"

"No… Got my bottle of water and pills, I'm good. Thank you…"

Michelle nodded, "Okay… Just call one of our phones if you need anything else tonight… I've got mine laying on my nightstand because I use it as an alarm, and Jack has his laying on his nightstand in case work calls…"

Coop nodded and stretched his arms out to the sides, enough to make his shoulders crack, "Don't think that'll be necessary… I feel like I could sleep for a week…"

"Alright… Good night…"

Coop nodded, "Good night."

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

"How did it go for him yesterday?" Boxer asked as Michelle and Katy entered the kitchen where Dunc and him sat.

"He ended up with a cast, and with a pending surgery…" Michelle sighed and poured herself some coffee which the guys had made.

"Ouch." Duncan frowned, "What kind of damage was it?"

"Breaks." Michelle shrugged, "Kneecap and the top of his shinbone…"

"So, is he staying at the Phoenix Foundation until he's ready for surgery or?"

"No, he's in his room. Probably still asleep." Michelle chuckled, "Unlike you guys who turned in early yesterday…"

"Hey, we were beat…" Boxer admitted.

"Yeah… A night out can really take it out of you…" Duncan nodded, "Especially if it's with this team…"

Michelle nodded, "I tried poking life into Jack before I got up… He still wasn't ready for another day…"

"No wonder…" Box chuckled, "He was dead set on staying up until you got back home. Did he make it?"

Michelle shook her head, "No, he was already snoring softly when I arrived."

"Called it!" Dunc grinned and spared a glance over at Box, "Told you he wouldn't be able to stay awake."

"You did…" Box nodded.

They fell silent for a little while, little Katy was the only one who made any noise.

"If one of you can take care of her for a little while, I could whip up some breakfast. You two are probably ready for it anyway?"

"I can take her…" Dunc smiled, holding his hands out ready to receive the kid.

"Thank you…" Michelle smiled as she handed Katy over to Dunc.

 **Okay. Another short chapter… Sorry…  
It just happens sometimes.**


	119. Chapter 119

**Okay. Let's go ahead with this…**

It took about half an hour from he woke up until he was ready for anything at all. His leg started the day off with telling him that he would have a real shitty week all together, and that he wouldn't be thinking about moving around unless he actually took his damn pain pills first.

And there wasn't really much of a chance that he'd accidentally forget to help out with his hands when he planned on moving his leg either. He had a feeling that he actually might end up blacking out if he did.

Once the pills were starting to take effect, he sat up in the bed and reached for one of his crutches. Then he started the game of getting a hold of his duffle bag with said crutch.

He barely refrained from letting out a little triumphant whoop of joy when he actually got it. Instead he just smirked and fished up the bag and started searching for the grey sweatpants Pete found as an option yesterday.

It was easy to find, it was on top of everything else in the bag.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After getting dressed, he picked up both of his crutches and got off the bed. He spent a couple of seconds contemplating whether he should just give up and sit back down, because that seemed to be what his leg tried to tell him to do. But then after a few seconds it calmed down a bit, allowing him to start hobbling towards the door.

He bit the inside of his lip as he tried to ignore the pain in his leg, and the slightly stiff feel of his right hand this early in the morning. Well, it wasn't exactly early anymore, but he hadn't been awake for that long. He didn't care to bother about his hand, it would ease up soon enough. His leg on the other hand, that would probably take a couple weeks.

He hobbled to the bathroom, glad that he didn't encounter anyone on his way. He didn't feel up for real conversation just yet, and he guessed he probably looked that way too. At least it felt that way on his face.

He reached the bathroom, glanced at the mirror and scoffed at the not so welcoming face staring back at him. Nope, those smiling muscles were still asleep. "Dude, even I would be afraid of meeting you in a dark alley…"

Of course the mirror didn't have a comeback ready for that.

He went about his business and tried to be as quick as possible. The throbbing in his leg intensified the longer he was vertical, and he really looked forward to plopping back down either in the comfortable bed, or on a comfortable couch. Getting his leg back up sounded like a helluva plan.

Before he left the bathroom, he looked at the mirror again. "Smile…"

He tried.

"Dude… Worst morning face ever…" he grouched to himself, "You should either win an award for it, or start working in some sort of scare factory… Haunted house attraction maybe…"

He made a few grimaces before he gave smiling another attempt.

"Nope. Not working yet…" he yawned and shook his head, "Let's just hope no one gets scared…"

He unlocked and opened the door and hobbled towards the kitchen where he heard Boxer and Michelle chatting, and more importantly, -smelled fresh coffee.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Oh, wow…" Duncan almost gasped, "I'll try not to be too mean, but you look like shit…"

"Thanks…" Coop scoffed, "Tried my best to look like you…"

"You really do look awful…" Boxer frowned, "And you look like you should sit down…"

"Was planning to…" Coop admitted as he adjusted the way he leaned on his crutches.

"Want some coffee big guy?" Duncan offered, "Liquid morning easer?"

Coop nodded, "Yeah…"

"Go sit down on the couch… I'll bring a cup over…" Boxer snapped his fingers and pointed to the living room, "Kick that leg up while you're at it."

"Thanks…" Coop nodded as he turned around and started crutching his way to the couch.

"He's probably gonna need help to make something to have his leg up on…" Michelle said and looked at the two men by the table as she stirred scrambled eggs around in a pan.

"On it…" Duncan nodded as he got up, still holding Katie against his shoulder.

"No… I can do it…" Box waved a hand dismissively as he also got up, "You sit back down here and keep on keeping the little lady happy…"

Michelle chuckled and offered Duncan a look, "I think you might be one of her favorite uncles already…"

"I'm alright with that…" Dunc grinned and looked over at Katie who was biting lightly at her own hand and smiling.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"How are you feeling, tough guy?" Box asked as he gathered up as many pillows as he could find in the living room, "How's the leg?"

"Uh… Fine…" Coop nodded, "Not too bad…"

"Really?" Boxer stopped and looked towards Coop, "You can't tell me that leg of yours ain't hurtin' like possessed right now…"

"It's really not that bad…" Coop shook his head, "It's been better though…"

Box shook his head, and carried the pillows over to Coop "I bet. Now, do you want me to help you lift your leg, or do you wanna do that yourself?"

"I can do that on my own…" Coop nodded, and grabbed a hold of the cast.

"Okay, whenever you're ready…" Boxer shrugged, and started piling pillows under Coop's leg as soon as the taller man lifted his leg off the couch. Once he ran out of pillows and Coop lowered his leg again, Boxer studied how Coop's leg was rested, "Do you need more pillows? I could find more…"

"Nah… Not necessary…" Coop shook his head, "It's good as it is."

"You sure? It wouldn't be any problem for me to find more… And I guess your leg could use a bit more elevation…"

"No, it's totally fine." Coop shook his head again, "I don't need to have it up more… It's good."

Boxer barely concealed a sigh, before he looked around. "Well, I'll go fetch you a cup of coffee then… See if that'll work wonders on how your face looks."

Coop chuckled humorlessly.

"Haven't seen that bad a morning face since Charlie woke up after we about emptied a bar in Colorado once… Do bad morning faces run in your family, or is that just a coincidence…"

"It's just some mornings…" Coop half sighed, half growled. "-And I don't consider myself fully awake yet…"

Boxer chuckled as he exited the living room to go get some coffee for Coop.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Now?" Duncan asked in a low voice looking up at Boxer as he entered the kitchen, "How is he?"

"He has entered the mode that I'd like to call 'Stubborn Norwegian'…" Boxer whispered harshly and shook his head, "Could just be 'Stubborn Lea', I don't know…"

"Ah… That mode…" Duncan nodded, before he sighed and shook his head.

"What does that mean?" Michelle asked as she turned around and looked at the two men in her kitchen.

"Well, I don't know many Norwegians… But the two have known very well both shared the same tendency to be annoying as heck to attempt to take care of…" Boxer shrugged, "And the one in there… It's like this wall comes up and it's impossible for him to admit that he's in pain…"

"Yeah, unless he's drunk, exhausted beyond normal limits or in some of the worst pain he's ever felt…" Dunc shrugged.

"Or if his body is telling him, 'Dude, this is the biggest shitstorm we've been through to date…'" Boxer added, doing his best to mimic Cooper, "Remember Bagram?"

"Hand?"

Box nodded, "He was real compliant and all until they discharged him from that hospital… And he didn't really hit the normal levels of 'nope, I'm all good' before he was shipped back home…"

Duncan nodded, "Yeah. Of course I remember, he scared the hell out of me before we even made it to the hospital…"

Michelle stood by the kitchen counter looking like a question mark, "What happened?"

"Well… He broke his hand, or wrist…" Boxer shrugged, "Got a bad cut from the thing that broke his hand and got a real nasty infection."

"Blood poisoning…" Dunc filled in, "He spent more than a week at the hospital in Bagram, before he was allowed back on base. And then he stayed there for about a week where we and one of the nurses in particular tried to look after him, before he shipped back home."

"Oh, that's not good…" Michelle frowned, "But he made it through alright, obviously…"

Dunc nodded, then added a shrug, "It's a long time ago, before Pete lost his leg even… It's what? More than a decade ago?"

"That long?"

Boxer nodded.

"He's obviously back to fighting shape, I mean… Sparring with him is no easy feat…" Duncan admitted, absentmindedly rubbing at where a bruise had almost faded completely.

"There are some positive sides to being out of that team," Boxer grinned, "I don't have to spar with anyone that size anymore…"

Duncan chuckled, "It's really fun those times you beat him though…"

"That's true…" Boxer chuckled.

"That being said, I almost couldn't believe it when he admitted his hand was stiff yesterday…" Duncan admitted, "He's not big on admitting stuff like that…"

"You seemed to know enough about it…" Boxer shrugged, "Must've admitted to it a few times already…"

"No, that was mostly based on studying how he works and moves." Duncan shrugged back, "I spend months living next to him… -And I might study how people act and move when I'm bored… And I get bored a lot…"

Boxer chuckled, "Yeah, well… That's how it goes… I better go place this coffee next to him before he considers going back in here to get it himself…"

"Good idea…" Michelle nodded, then focused back on Duncan, "So… Coop's hand is not all good anyway?"

"Hell if I know…" Duncan chuckled silently, "All I know is what I've seen… Some mornings it looks like it bothers him, other mornings it's like it's never even been hurt… Some days he'll be doing pushup handstands like it's nothing, and others he'll barely be able to keep his face straight when he's pumping iron, even without going half as heavy as I know he can…"

"So… It's not all there?"

"I don't know…" Dunc shook his head, "Probably not, but it's also probably okay enough… Hard to tell…"

"But they let him continue in the unit?"

"We're talking about the most stubborn guy I know…" Dunc chuckled, "And we're talking about a job I think he loves or feels like he needs to do…"

"I thought Jack was the most stubborn one…"

Dunc shook his head, "No… Jack is stubborn alright… But he's… I don't know… -I just think Coop's more stubborn…"

"Agree to disagree?" Michelle winked and Dunc nodded.

"Agree to disagree…" Dunc agreed.

 **Okay… Let's end this chapter here.**

 **NOTE: I had finished the whole story… But then re-writes happened, and everything took a whole other direction… So… I can't say I've got any pre-written chapters left.  
What I've got now is like six chapters that I might copy and paste parts from. But as a whole, they don't make sense anymore… **


	120. Chapter 120

**Okay… It's been a few days since I posted last…**

Jack found his way to the kitchen just as Michelle placed the last of the cutlery on the breakfast table.

"Hey darlin'…" he allowed himself to drawl as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't care much about Duncan or Boxer sitting by the table, they could both stand a little sugar sweet cuteness.

"Hey yourself…" Michelle giggled as Jack took the liberty to place a quick kiss on her left cheek, "Sleep well?"

"Yeah… Slept deep…" he smiled, "Y'all?"

"Katie slept through the night, but started just a little early… I slept fine…" Michelle nodded, "But these guys were up even before Katie started…"

"Woke up a few times…" Dunc shrugged as he rubbed his hand against Katie's back, "Still a bit messed up from the timezones… And… Y'know… I was worried for Paul Bunyan in the other room…"

"Coop, he's here? Now?" Jack asked lowering his voice, looking from one person to the other, "Awake?"

"Yeah…" Box drawled, all of them following Jack's lead of lowering their voices, "But I'd let him have a few more minutes before we try'n'talk with him… He's kinda… Grumpy lookin'…"

Jack nodded, "Are we talking you before your first cup of Joe grumpy, or Staff Sergeant Parker when I lit up firecrackers under his bunk grumpy?"

"Closer to Parker…" Box nodded with his lips pressed tight, "Less loud though… Same mean face."

"Oh crap…" Jack half chuckled, half grimaced, "He's gotta be feelin' like crap…"

"By the careful way he maneuvered, I'd say you're right…" Dunc nodded, "He moved very stiffly…"

"He did?"

"Yeah, you know… Most times when he's ended up with crutches, he's been the master of those long strides and all that?" Dunc shrugged.

"Yeah, making it look like it's just as easy moving around with those sticks as without…" Jack nodded.

"Not happening today at least. I almost offered finding a chair for him to sit down in when he poked his head inside the kitchen on his way to the living room…"

"Well, it's fresh…" Jack shrugged, but his features painted a worried frown, "Second and third day tends to be bad…"

"Yeah, but remember how he was juggling around when we all got it?" Boxer frowned, "When he meant to place his cast up on Dunc's bed to show it or to let him draw on it or something? And nearly toppled all of us… That was pretty soon after…"

"Yeah…" Dunc nodded as his hand instinctively went up to rub at the scar on his face, "But I don't think that was anything that could be considered a bad break. Not by severity, or by pain level…"

"True…" Jack nodded, as their little chat died down "All true…"

Feeling the need to keep conversation going, Michelle looked at Boxer, "And you? How did you sleep?"

"Oh… Y'know…" he shrugged a little, "Didn't have any dreams, but woke up a few times. Nothing out of the ordinary… Got some decent rest."

"That's good." Michelle nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Maybe one of us should hear with Coop if he'd like a bite to eat…" Michelle suggested as she was about to sit down by the table.

"Not me!" the guys almost answered simultaneously, holding their hands up defensively.

"Oh come on…" Michelle drawled, "What are y'all? Chicken?"

"Nah-uh…" Dunc shook his head, "I just don't want to mess with him right now…"

Jack and Boxer slowly nodded in agreement.

"If he's starting to look remotely like SSG Parker, then I don't want to either…"

"Come on… You're all big tough, strong soldiers…" Michelle rolled her eyes, "You can't seriously be afraid of him when he barely can hobble around on crutches.

"It's not a matter of being afraid Miss Sawyer…" Box drawled, "It's a matter of not making him more grumpy than he already is…"

"You guys are impossible…" Michelle shook her head.

"Come on, you could cute your way out of just about anything…" Jack offered with a hopeful smile, "He'll probably be happier seein' you than our ugly faces…"

"You're lucky I love you…" Michelle broke out laughing a little, "Okay… But y'all need to subtract a point from your manliness score…"

"Yes ma'am… No problem…" Duncan chuckled, "As long as you deal with Coop right now, we're all good with that."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She felt a little weird walking into the living room to ask Cooper. She felt secure around him, like she could trust him, but the way the other guys had done their best to avoid what she was doing now, that made her feel a bit uneasy. It even made her question, just for a split second, her view on Coop.  
But then she remembered that neither of the guys in the kitchen, Jack in particular, would have sent her out there if they even remotely believed that it could be dangerous for her in any way.

She was far enough inside the room to see his face before she spoke up, he still hadn't looked straight at her. He looked like he was lost in his own thoughts a bit.

"Hey…" she murmured in a low voice, careful not to startle Coop, "Breakfast is ready, want me to bring you some?"

He snapped out of it with a small shake of his head, before he looked at her. Then he tried to school his features into a smile that didn't quite reach the levels of grown-man boyish charm, she knew his face easily displayed on the regular. "Thanks, but no thanks… Not really hungry…"

"Oh, come on…" Michelle felt a little more confident after seeing Coop at least attempt smiling at her, "You've gotta eat something…"

"I'm doing just swell with the coffee…" Coop shrugged, casting a quick glance down at his leg again, "I'm just not feeling like eating anything yet… No worries if I skip a meal just once anyway… It's not like I'm scrawny or anything."

Michelle bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling, Coop was kinda right. Calling him scrawny would be plain wrong.

"Okay, but let me make you a couple of slices of bread… And you can eat whenever you start to feel like it then?" Michelle offered.

"Seriously, you don't have to…" Coop shrugged, "It's not like I'll be burning a bunch of calories just laying around here all day."

"True…" Michelle shrugged, "But your body needs nutrition to heal…"

She actually managed to get him to let out the shortest of short laughed, as a brief smile crossed his lips. "Okay… True…"

"So… You'll be okay if I place a plate with a couple of slices on next to your coffee?" Michelle poked.

"Not promising that I'll eat them…" Coop sighed, "But, I really appreciate you looking out for me… -Thank you…"

Michelle nodded, "No problem… Anything in particular you want?"

Coop shook his head, "Kinda zero appetite right now…"

"So… Whatever?"

He nodded.

"Anything you DON'T want?"

He shook his head, "Nah… I'm good with anything…"

"Okay…" Michelle nodded, "You want juice or milk with that?"

"Milk, please…" Coop tried smiling again, it still didn't look properly like his smile.

"Okay, I'll be by in a minute…" Michelle nodded, then she looked towards Coop's legs, the one covered in cast in particular, "Looks like you could use another couple of pillows… I'll fix that…"

"It's not neces-"

"It is…" Michelle cut him off before he got any further, "Besides, it's quick…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

She came back a couple of minutes later with a plate with three slices on. One with strawberry jam, one with peach jam and one with honey and a big glass of milk.

"So… The guys suggested these things were what you liked best of what we had on the table. At least of things that wouldn't be difficult to eat from here…"

"Thank you…" he smiled, almost a proper smile this time around.

"Just a second and I'll go fetch another pillow or two for your leg too…"

"It can wait until you've had breakfast…" Coop shook his head, "It's no big deal…"

"Or I can do it now, and be done with it…" Michelle said crossing her arms.

"Seriously, you don't have to…"

"Are you going to stop me?" Michelle chuckled, knowing she'd actually have the upper hand against him right now. Then she left to find a few pillows.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It only took about a minute before she was back with a couple of cushions belonging to the couch upstairs, the one with the loose cushions.

Coop watched skeptically as she lifted his leg, and arranged the mountain of cushions and pillows for his leg to rest on. Then she carefully lowered his leg onto the assembly.

"How does that feel?"

He looked at his leg, it definitely felt a bit better, even though he didn't like to admit it. He hated having to depend on anyone else, he wasn't comfortable with the fact that people had to do stuff for him, just because he couldn't at the moment.

"Better…" he admitted, making sure to force a polite smile on his face, "Thank you…"

She nodded, "Do you want us to come sit in here and eat breakfast? I forgot to think about that…"

"No…" Coop shook his head, "No, I… I'm still pretty tired… I could use a little more time to wake up on… Without too much conversation…"

"Okay… Just let me know if you need anything…"

"-Sure." Coop nodded, "And once again, thank you…"

"No problem…" Michelle winked as she headed back to the kitchen and the others.

 **Okay, So… Let's end this chapter here…**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	121. Chapter 121

**Okay, let's see what we can do now…**

After the breakfast Duncan and Jack headed straight to the living room.

Much to their surprise, the oversized Californian had fallen asleep on the couch. The milk glass was emptied, and the coffee cup was missing a sip or two. He hadn't touched the slices of bread.

"He's out cold…" Duncan smirked as he set his sight on the short end of the couch, "Did not expect that."

"Probably needs a lot of rest, and they got home late yesterday…" Jack shrugged, "And there's no guarantee he slept well tonight either. His leg didn't look good when they left to get a proper look at it."

"True…" Duncan nodded and lowered himself onto the couch, "Hope he gets to fix his leg before you and Michelle get hitched. Or else the day is gonna suck for him…"

"I think it's gonna suck for him either way…" Jack shrugged, "But if he's up for it at all, I think it would be a lot more practical for him to be done with the surgery stuff."

"Good point…" Duncan nodded and looked at Coop who's chest was rising and falling slowly, "Sure glad I'm not him right now…"

Jack nodded, "Hey, what do you say we go outside or upstairs to sit and chat. Give this guy the rest he deserves…"

"That's probably a good idea… Let me just go grab a hoodie from my bag and we can sit outside, it's nice weather after all…"

Jack nodded as Dunc stood back up and headed towards the room he slept in.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They chatted about this and that before Duncan finally cleared his voice and asked something that had been on his mind since breakfast.

"So… Excited about the big day?" it was a question he had heard so often lately, that it barely registered.

"Huh?"

"Are you excited? About marrying Michelle…" Duncan added.

"Yeah." His smile was genuine while he answered, "Who wouldn't be? She's amazing."

"You seem like you deserve each other…" Duncan smiled.

"No…" Jack shook his head, but he couldn't get rid of the smile on his lips, "No… I don't deserve her, and she deserves someone far better than me… But luck and cupid is playing on my side for once. I still can't believe she even likes me."

"Well, I might regret saying it later on… But you're one of the guys I've always have looked up to… And you deserve better than doing a job that gets you shot after all of the time…"

"It's not that often…" Jack shrugged.

"Weren't you _just_ out with an injury for months because you got shot in the leg…?" Duncan rolled his eyes, "Boss, you ain't fooling me…"

Jack chuckled a little, "Well… Okay… But… Okay…"

"Didn't have a comeback for that one did you…" Duncan grinned, "Seriously Jack… You deserve someone as good and sweet as that lady in there. And I think she thinks you deserve just her."

"Let's hope so…" Jack smiled with stars in his eyes.

"She said yes, right…? When you told her you planned on marrying her…" Duncan shot back with a teasing smile.

"Yeah." Jack let out a satisfied sigh and let his head loll back, "Still feels like a fairytale."

"I bet." Duncan nodded.

The door opened behind them and Boxer stepped out on the stairs. "Michelle said she was going to take a shower and give the baby a bath… Said she would join us after that…"

"Coop still asleep?" Duncan asked and tilted his head to look up at the older man.

"Sawing logs in the living room… Yeah…" Box nodded as he sat down next to Jack on the stairs.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

After a while Duncan's phone plinged, and both Jack and Boxer looked over with shocked expressions. Neither of them being used to the guy actually carrying his phone around with him.

Dunc acted like there was nothing to it when he pulled the phone out of his pocket to check what message was.

 _'Dude… Where you guys at?'_

"I think someone just woke up again…" Dunc grinned and stood back up, "Imma go in and check on him, see if he wants company or not."

"Alright, come get us if he want us there then…" Boxer nodded.

"Will do…" Dunc nodded, "Might go lazy on you and just send a text, but the information will reach you either way…"

The Texans both nodded in return.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey there buddy… You awake?" Dunc said as he reached the open door between the hallway and the kitchen.

"Yeah, apparently dozed off for a little while, didn't I?"

"You did." Dunc nodded as he walked into the room, and spotted a place to sit, "You need anything?"

"No…" Coop shook his head, "I'm all good…"

"All good might be a little off…" Dunc shrugged and tipped his head towards Coop's leg.

"Yeah, maybe…" Coop agreed, "But I've got everything I need… All good in that department…"

"Yeah…"

"Were you outside?"

Dunc nodded, "Figured we'd let you sleep in peace…"

"You do know I've got a black-belt in sleeping with noise around me? Right?" Coop chuckled, "I mean, sleeping 22 miles from hell is one thing… But you've heard how Box can snore if he ends up sleeping on his back… Not to mention Buck!"

"Buck's bad…" Dunc agreed, "I'm amazed no one has sneaked in to our sleeping quarters and stuffed his mouth with dirty socks yet…"

"Cause that would probably be murder…" Coop shrugged, "But the dude snores enough to set off a seismograph…"

"That he does…" Dunc nodded, "So… The guys wanted to know if you wanted company or if you wanted solitude…"

"Company's fine…" Coop shrugged, "I'm kinda bored…"

"-And there's not a lot you can do…"

"Exactly…" Coop sighed and shot his leg a dirty glare.

"Hey, if you really need something to do… I could find a store and buy you some yarn and one of those crochet needles…" Duncan teased with a wide smirk.

"Oh go screw yourself…"

"What? It would be something to do…"

"You couldn't offer it without your face contorting into something resembling a smirk?"

"Nope."

"Not cool man… Not cool…" Coop shook his head lazily, "And by the way, you shouldn't say anything, you knit way better than I crochet…"

"Aw, come on…" Dunc chuckled, before he fully schooled his features, "But seriously, I could find a store and buy some yarn and a crochet needle for you… It would give you something productive to do…"

"Well, what the heck should I make then? I honestly think no one of us needs more beanies…" Coop chuckled.

"Hey, I could always use more of them… I'm in Chicago when I'm home… You know how cold winters are there…" Dunc shrugged, "But, you could make a dress for Katie…"

Coop chuckled, "You're kidding…"

"No…" Dunc shook his head, "I'm serious…"

"I don't know how to make that…" Coop scrounged up his face, "I know how to make… Beanies… That's it…"

"And scarves…" Dunc added, "Oh, and you once made some socks too…"

"Scarves don't count… It's literally just back and forth a few times…" Coop shrugged, "And the socks were some highly experimental stuff… Not really something I _know_ how to make…"

"Come on… Take the challenge…" Dunc winked, "I could probably find a how-to sheet on how to make baby dresses…"

"I don't know how to read those recipe things…" Coop crossed his arms over his chest, "Mom tried to hand me one when I was rehabbing my hand… And I had kinda made enough beanies to last our family a lifetime… Those papers are impossible to understand. It's easier to crack codes…"

"Yeah… Sure…"

"I swear…"

"I'm gonna go see if I can find something for you anyway… I'll tell Texan 1 and Texan 2 that you'd like some company in the meanwhile…"

Coop nodded.

"After I get back, maybe I could try to help you figure out those impossible sheets? We all know you hate paperwork, and… Well, it's paper…"

Coop chuckled, "Well, I'm not betting on you being able to teach me to read those recipes…"

"Your loss, I'm gonna teach you…" Dunc smirked as he stood back up, "But if you're willing to bet against it, I'll be glad to take your money when I win…"

"Five bucks?"

"Sure." Dunc nodded, "Same rules as always… No cheating, like learning it and acting dumb…"

"Of course…" Coop nodded, "But you've got your work cut out for you."

Right before he left the room, Dunc turned to look at Coop again, then he looked at the food on the table, then back at Coop. "And hey… Try to get one of those slices down, alright? I know either the pain or the pain pills mess with your appetite, but… It's not good for you to skip meals…"

"I've got enough reserves…" Coop shrugged, "I can stand missing a meal or two…"

"I'm pretty sure there's something about hurt people healing better when they get enough nutrition…" Dunc shrugged, "And I need my bro to get ready for our next tour as quick as possible, okay?"

"Aww… You worried about me?" Coop grinned teasingly.

"I'm worried about the guy covering my six most of the time…" Dunc chuckled, "It's nothing personal…"

"Or so you're saying…"

"Yeah. I'm saying…" Dunc chuckled, "But hey, one slice… Can you do that for me?"

Coop took a long slow breath, judging the slices of bread on his plate, "-I'll try…"

"Good. That's good…"

 **Okay, this chapter was laying half finished on my computer almost since the last time I posted a chapter here.**


	122. Chapter 122

**Okay… Still hanging on?**

"Excuse me Miss…" Duncan gently said as he approached a young woman who wore clothes that made it look like she worked at that store, "Do you work here?"

"Yes, anything I can help you with?" he could feel how her eyes were drawn towards the scar on the side of his face, and he could see how she was fighting against herself internally to avoid it. He honestly didn't care all that much about it, but it was fascinating how people reacted to it.

"Yes…" he nodded, "I need some yarn and a crochet needle… Oh, and one of those sheets that tells you how to crochet some kind of baby dress…"

"Oh, baby dresses! That's always fun!" the girl smiled, "Which color or colors are you thinking?"

"I honestly might need a little help picking colors…" Dunc smiled one of his most innocent looking smiles, full knowing that the scar probably did its best to terminate his attempts. It could be a hard sight for some people. "I'm just buying this for a friend of mine, he's down with an injury and probably needs something to pass the time with, and another buddy of ours just had a kid a few months back…"

He felt how the girl, woman, relaxed a little bit, and Dunc smiled another time.

"Yes, of course…" she nodded, "We can go look for a pattern first, and then we'll know how many colors we need…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They picked the pattern for a dress that was in three colors, then they headed for the section of the store where the yarn was.

"Okay, so we're going to chose some kind of cotton yarn since it's for a baby…" the woman smiled and looked over at Duncan to make sure he didn't disagree. "Any color in mind?"

"No… Seriously, I'm not good at this… I'd stand in danger of accidentally pick some kind of camo color set." Duncan chuckled nervously, "As long as it's not three different shades of pink, we're good."

"We'll steer away from that then…" the woman smiled again, "You want it to be kinda girly, like… Pink but not like the flamingo fairy threw up all over it? Or do you want a more neutral look?"

Duncan chuckled and shook his head, "It can be either… -As long as the flamingo fairy didn't throw up all over it…"

"Alright!" she smiled, "I've got these three colors that I love in combination for girl's baby dresses. Old pink, grey and white."

"Old pink, what color is that?"

"It's this one." The woman said taking a yarn out of the shelf, then reaching for another two, "With this grey and this slightly off white."

Duncan nodded, he had to agree that the colors worked together.

"Or this same pink, purple and grey."

"The first one could be really cute…" Dunc nodded, "Let's go with that…"

"It's gonna be supercute…" the girl smiled, "You needed a needle too?"

"Yeah, we just got back from a tour and neither of us visited our homes before we got to LA…" Dunc smirked, "The klutz managed to screw up his knee and now he's in a big cast with orders to stay in bed."

"Oh, poor guy…" the girl winced, "Hope he's okay."

"He's in a lot of pain, and not allowed to move around freely. And he's like one of the most impatient guys I know…" Dunc shrugged, "But he's gonna be okay after a while."

"So you're getting him some hobby stuff…"

"Yeah, or the rest of us is going to have to live with him going stir crazy over the next couple of weeks."

"You're gathered a bunch?"

"Yep, the guys from the old unit. Our old boss is getting hitched." Dunc smiled, "Same guy that has a new kid."

"That's sweet."

"It's basically family…" Dunc smiled, "One of the best ones I've had."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, can you watch her for a little while?" Jack asked hurriedly as he placed Kathrine on top of Coop's chest without really waiting for an answer, "Had a thing at work come up, gotta go in. Box's out shopping groceries, Michelle is also needed at the Phoenix…"

Coop's shocked reaction was gaping like a fish for a few seconds as he tried to form an answer.

"Box or Dunc will be back soon. Michelle is coming back in a few hours anyway, so it's just easier having you three guys take care of Katie in the meanwhile. I might come back tomorrow. –Or the day after… Don't know."

"But…"

"It's close to nap time for her anyway, she'll probably just sleep until Dunc or Box shows up. You don't have to do anything…"

"But… I don't know crap about babies…" Coop sputtered out, "Nothing."

"They eat, sleep, shit and cry…" Jack shrugged, "Now you know most of what you need to know."

"I practically can't move… Not very well anyway…" Coop pointed out the obvious, "How the heck am I supposed to take care of a baby for even a little while…?"

"Like I said, nap time… She'll prolly doze off in like ten minutes anyway, and sleep until one of the others come back."

"Don't you have like a daycare option at the Phoenix or something?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded, "But like I said, Michelle won't be at work long today, and…"

Jack was cut off by his phone beeping angrily, he picked it out of his pocket and checked it. "Sorry, gotta go."

"Daycare?"

"On the other side of the building. Takes too damn long to deliver her there today." Jack answered as he hurried out to the hallway, "She'll be an angel… Bye!"

Coop heard the front door slam shut, and stared down at his chest where Katie was rested.

"Now what the hell am I gonna do?" he whispered to himself.

 **Okay, not that long a chapter. Hope you enjoyed it though.**


	123. Chapter 123

**Okay, this is going to be a short chapter. Probably.**

Cooper watched as Katie stretched a bit on his chest. He couldn't remember the last time he had been as scared. And yes, scared was the right word.

A couple of months ago in Kabul had been nothing compared to this. He knew it was messed up to be more at ease with having a red dot locked on his chest than to have a baby rest there.  
But he'd been in the military since he was fresh out of high school, and having his own life being jeopardized seemed to be quite normal for him by now.  
Having a baby on his chest felt like being handcuffed to a time bomb with a mercury switch. Scary.

He breathed carefully. He didn't want to disturb the little lady, he didn't want her to become grumpy while he was alone with her. No, cause he couldn't get up and simply do something about it. He couldn't walk around and do the things people normally did when babies started fuzzing.

He couldn't get up and find a milk bottle somewhere. He couldn't walk around, gently rocking her until she got tired. He couldn't get up and change her diaper if that was needed. Oh dear lord, he really hoped that wouldn't become an issue while he was alone there.  
He was already not looking forward to the next time he had to get up to go to the bathroom himself, thankfully it was far from a pressing matter.

"Please… Please just act like Jack guessed you would act. I'm not up for anything else than angel behavior…" Coop whispered and dared to stroke the back of a few fingers against her arm, "I promise, uncle Coop is usually a lot more fun than this, but… Let's just say I'm glad you're not old enough to run around here yet. Cause I would seem even more boring to you then…"

He offered a small smile, "-And here I go… Talking to a baby like you're going to answer in full sentences… You probably don't even know how to say mom or dad yet… Or whatever variation of those words you're gonna use… Ma… Pop? Pa?"

Coop shook his head a little, and looked down at Katie again, "Looks like your eyelids are getting a little heavy there… Is my voice making you sleepy, huh?"

A small yawn from Katie was answer enough.

"That's right, I'm probably not a good conversationalist. Sorry…" Coop smirked a little, thankful that it looked like Jack was right about his daughter falling asleep quickly. Then he let go of a yawn of his own. "Can you understand why you always get so tired of doing nothing? I haven't done a thing all day, and I'm about ready for my second or third nap of the day too…"

It didn't take long after that before Katie was snoozing off.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack's heart was pounding as Mac sped towards the Phoenix. They had sort of been promised a few days off while the old gang was in town, and Michelle and him was busy with the upcoming wedding.

-But… The world had other plans.

"Did they tell you what this was about?" Mac inquired as he dodged past an oversized pickup.

"Nah… Just 'get your ass in here, be ready for a trip south.'" Jack shrugged, "You?"

"About the same, but she did mention Argentina."

"Well, she's not sending us down there to play soccer, that's for sure."

Mac nodded and switched lanes rapidly enough to make Jack grip the passenger door and tap an imaginary break on his side.

"You know I'm not driving faster than you usually do…"

"You know I hate being in the passenger seat…"

Mac just smirked in return.

"Back to the topic, have you heard anything about Argentina lately? Anything big going down?"

"Not anything that explains this…" Mac admitted with a shrug, "You?"

"No." Jack shook his head.

 **Okay… So I'll probably not write the entire mission Mac and Jack gets sent on. I might actually skip past pretty much all of it… But… They're going on a small mission.**


	124. Chapter 124

**Back again. HELLOOOOO**

Duncan came home to a silent house. It wasn't exactly what he had expected, so he dropped the hobby stuff right inside the front door and went through the rooms to check for intruders in Delta fashion. He only got to the second room before he found a handwritten note that explained why it was all so quiet.

 _'Got call from Phnx  
Michelle and I had to  
come in.  
Box - Grocery run  
Dunc – shopping trip  
Coop – Where we all left  
him.  
Katie – With Coop.  
_- _Jack'_

Duncan smirked a little, 'where w e all left him' –Okay.

He placed the note in his pocket and went to the open doorway leading to the living room. And Jack was right. Coop was exactly where he had been when Dunc (at least) left him. But now he was asleep, and Katie was lying on top of him cooing.

"That's…" Dunc whispered to himself with an amused smirk, "That's adorable…"

He found his phone and snapped a few pictures of the scene. Partly because it was really cute, and partly because he probably could use it to tease Coop later.

Then he went back and picked up the hobby stuff, and brought it over to the living room table.

He sat down in one of the armchair next to the couch and waited. It probably wouldn't take too long before Coop woke up again, or until Katie decided to do something else than just cooing contently.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It actually took 45 minutes before Boxer came back home too. He was lugging enough grocery bags for Duncan's curiosity about whether the older man still kept in Delta Force shape or not to die down. His answer was 'yes', or at least close enough to it.

"Why so quiet?" the Texan grit out as he paused before entering the kitchen. He had a clear line of sight to where Dunc was sitting, but he couldn't see Coop from there.

"My conversation buddy is out cold again…" Dunc answered and pushed off the chair, "Need help with that?"

"Oh, okay…" Box nodded, "And yeah… Had to give up on the one trip mentality out there. Still three bags that need to be brought in…"

"M'kay…" Dunc nodded, "I'll go fetch them…"

"Thanks."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Where's Wyatt and Michelle?" Boxer asked once Dunc made it back in with the remaining bags.

"Oh, yeah… They got called in to work. Just found a note when I got back here."

"Did it say what it was about, or?"

"Nope…" Dunc dug through his pocket and came up with the note, "Nothing else than this…"

"Well, that's not a lot of info…" Box shrugged after he skimmed over the note, "Let's hope it's just something minor then…"

Dunc nodded.

"You know if either of them was scheduled to work today?"

Dunc shook his head, "Nah… No clue…"

"Prolly not… Since they got called."

Dunc nodded.

"You see or hear anything on the news that caught your attention?"

"When?" Dunc chuckled, "I borrowed a bike to get to town… No radio on that thing…"

"Could have switched on the news or something when you got back here…"

"Kinda figured Lurch needed his beauty sleep…" Dunc smirked, "-No… I tried making as little noise as I could when I came back."

"Okay… What do you say we turn on the news, just in case there's something happening that we all could benefit from knowing…"

"Sure, but don't you think that Jack would've just told us if it would be PAINFULLY OBVIOUS what they were going to deal with. I'm guessing whatever's going on, it's not gonna make the news…"

"You're probably right." Boxer nodded sagely, "But I'm still curious."

"Okay, let's turn on the news." Dunc agreed, "I'm curious too."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Coop didn't exactly jerk awake, but he woke up instantly at the sound of emergency vehicles wailing along. They weren't all that close, but still close enough to draw him from his slumber.

He brought one hand up to rub at his eyes, before he realized he was on a couch, and that he small, soft weight on top of him was a kid.

Blinking a few more times, he recognized the couch and which living room he was in. Then he saw Box and Dunc, and saw that the television was on.

"What's happening?" he asked groggily, surprised at how sleep thick his own voice was.

"News." Box answered, "Some crazy bastard brought a full auto to a shopping mall."

"Shit…" Coop gasped, before he cleared his voice and sat up, "Where?"

"Some place in Virginia I've never heard of…" Box frowned, "That can't be the reason Jack and Michelle had to go, right?"

"Probably not…" Duncan agreed, "Hey, did they tell you why they had to take off?"

"No…" Coop shook his head, "But Jack was in a hurry when he did. I think Michelle was already there or something? Maybe waiting in the car? Or Mac picked Jack up…"

A video shot with a shaky cellphone came on the screen, showing the shooter.

"Shiiiit… That's real trouble…" Coop said as he paled a little.

"A Beretta ARX160 with a drum, trouble?" Box shook his head, "Kid, that's… Unnecessary!"

"It's hella big trouble…" Duncan frowned, physically flinching as a person was gunned down on screen, "Man… I can't stand sitting here able to do nothing about that…"

He shook his head and got up and walked out of the room, "I'll be outside if anyone needs me."

Coop nodded and watched the screen carefully, "Man… He's right you know… Sucks being here and being unable to make any sort of difference…"

"Yeah, I get it…" Box nodded, "But that's just life sometimes. We're not going to save the world all on our own. Some things are just outside our reach."

They both stayed silent for a little while, watching as scenes from outside the mall played.

"That being said…" Boxer drawled, "I'd love to suit up in tac gear and do something about that lunatic."

Coop nodded and gave the TV another glance, "Maybe… Since we can't do shit about that anyway… Maybe we could turn it off?"

Boxer nodded, "Yeah. Easier switching that off than it is for you to pull the same trick Dunc just did."

Coop nodded as Boxer shut off the television, "Yeah, I can't wait to heal up."

 **Okay. Might actually end this chapter here…**


	125. Chapter 125

**Okay, here I go again… What will happen now? Nobody knows.**

Michelle shook her head as she sat in on the briefing about Jack and Mac's new mission. By the looks of what was showed on the screen, the mission would be a quick 24 hours, but they all knew looks could be deceiving.

Thankfully nobody deemed the mission 'easy'.

"The extraction might prove a little difficult, as you'll have every person wearing a badge looking for our guy. But if there's anyone I trust to pull it off, it's the four of you." Matty said as she turned to face her agents.

Jack just nodded in agreement, Michelle smiled at how at ease Jack seemed. If he didn't do any of the small things he did that admitted he was nervous, then why the hell should she be?

"Do we have exact location?" Mac asked fidgeting with a paperclip, turning it into what looked like a sun.

"We do not have _exact_ location." Matty shook her head, "But we do have enough information that our techs should be able to narrow his location down significantly by the time you touch down in Buenos Aires."

"Guess that's good enough…" Jack shrugged and cast a glance over at Michelle, "As long as I'm back before the wedding, we're all good."

"I'll personally come and get you if this mission turns out to last that long…" Matty chuckled, "You four just focus on getting our guy and coming back in one piece. All of you."

"We'll do our very best…" Bozer nodded, "Oh, and I should be home the day before their wedding too, at the latest… Or there'll be a lot of hungry, potentially hangry, guests. Yourself included."

"Noted." Matty answered and tried to hide a small smile that forced itself onto her lips. "But this should not last that long, if it does, I'll send the task over to another team. Another firm too if I have to."

"It's been a while since we've seen those twins now…" Riley shrugged, "Maybe Alex and Kim could take the task if we don't get this Kevin Grey dude."

"I think they're in Bangkok at the moment… Didn't look like a pleasure trip either…" Mac shrugged.

"What?" Riley furrowed her brows as she looked over at Mac.

"We keep in touch…" Mac shrugged, "Every now and then…"

"Translation:" Bozer started, "Kim, the geeky one calls Mac up when he's stuck with Brainiac things he can't get past, or just to geek out in plenary."

"Oh…"

"And for the record, they're both sharp." Mac shrugged.

"Yeah…" Bozer pulled the word out, "But Kim is the obviously smart one. Alex seems more like Jack. Like you kinda expect him to head-butt someone if someone suggests 'use your head'…"

Riley chuckled, "That's true. I was surprised one time we had them over at your place and I caught Alex doing math just for fun… I was almost sure they had changed shirts there for a moment."

Mac nodded, "Exactly."

"Hey, head-butts are practical sometimes…" Jack shot in, trying to keep from cracking up, "Your fists might be all sore from throwing punches already. A proper head-butt will do the trick."

"Well, we're done here…" Matty shook her head a little, "I suggest you go get your gear and get on the chopper that will take you to the airport. I'll keep you up to date on whatever we learn about his whereabouts."

The team nodded, and got to their feet.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey… Soldier…" Michelle almost whispered as Jack was about to exit the war room. Mac, Bozer, Riley and Matty had already filed out of the room.

Jack stopped and turned to face her, "Yeah, Darlin'…"

"Come back, alright?"

"To you? Always." He winked and stepped close enough to trap her in a good hug and place a soft kiss on her lips. "Always."

"Just remember, Katie needs you too…"

Jack nodded, "I know. I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?"

Michelle nodded, "Counting on ya…"

Jack smiled and kissed her one more time.

 **Okay, gonna end that chapter there. Hope you enjoyed.**


	126. Chapter 126

**Okay, coming at you with another chapter.**

 **Oh, and I just broke 400 comments on this thing, THANK YOU ALL!  
-Never thought that would happen on any of my stories.  
THANK YOU!**

It was ten minutes since they had shut off the television again.

Cooper was still acting as a resting mat for Katie, and Boxer had picked up a newspaper and parked himself in the chair next to the couch.

They had both fallen silent, and Katie wasn't making much fuzz either after she had found her own hand to suck on.

Coop shook his head and let his hand rest over Katie's legs. He let his free foot pump to a rhythm in his head. He was a bit restless, but he couldn't do shit about it.

Another problem was how he worried for Dunc.

He looked towards the doorway that went out to the hallway, like he was trying to see all the way out the front door.

"Yo… Box…" Coop cleared his voice and looked over at the older man in the chair.

"Yeah…"

"Maybe one of us could go out and check on him?" he added a shrug, "I'm not sure if that stuff on the news really messed with him, or if he just didn't want to see more of it…"

Coop waited a second as he stared at Boxer, who looked over the brim of the paper. He was just about to start coaxing Boxer to go out and check on their friend when the Texan folded the paper and pushed himself up.

"Alright, I'll go check on him." Boxer nodded, "Do you or the little lady need anything before I go out there?"

"I'm all set, and it looks like she's got enough entertainment already." Coop shrugged, "I'll text if we need help."

"Okay."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey kid…" Boxer drawled as he stepped out on the stairs, "Ya good?"

Dunc turned where he was seated on the steps and looked up at Box, "Yeah, kinda."

"Kinda?"

Dunc shrugged and looked back forward, "Yeah."

Box walked down the stairs so that he was standing on the same step Dunc had his feet on. "Mind if I take a seat?"

"Go ahead."

"Messed up stuff on the screen, huh?"

"Yeah." Duncan nodded.

They both went silent for a little, before Dunc clicked his tongue and looked over at Box.

"Stuff like that…" he shook his head, "Makes my blood boil."

Boxer nodded, "I'm right there with ya…"

"It's civilians. Kids even." Dunc balled one hand into a fist and squeezed it hard enough to make tendons crack and pop. "It's people who have never aimed a weapon towards other human beings. It's people… Innocents."

Boxer nodded slowly, "It's… Yeah… It's unnecessary."

"It's awful." Duncan let out a hard breath. "I know we often face bad situations in the job. But… I can find a way to justify most of it anyway."

Boxer didn't say anything.

"I mean, if you're the cause of hundreds of deaths, and war… There's proof that the world would most likely be a better place without you on it." Duncan shook his head, "If you aim at people, and intend to shoot them… You kinda have it coming…"

"You're saying you expect a bullet when you suit up and work?"

"Don't you?" Duncan shrugged and looked over at Box again, "Or, didn't you?"

"It tended to be on the back of my mind." Box nodded.

"But it would be justified, I guess." Dunc shrugged, "As many lives as… Dude, I'd deserve it. It'd be… I'd not like it, but it'd be understandable."

"What's this about." Box prompted, shoving a fist against Dunc's shoulder, "Is this about…"

"Farah…" Dunc nodded shortly, "I'm pretty sure that's the one that will haunt me until I sign out from this world."

"It was a mistake, any one of us could have been pulling the trigger there."

"Yeah. But it was me." Dunc shook his head.

"He was holding a gun."

"Yeah, but we've been fired at by kids his age before. And after."

"Yeah, but…" Dunc shook his head, "Still haunts me."

Boxer nodded knowingly, "Well, we shut the TV off… And our kinda immobile buddy in there seemed to be a lil worried 'bout ya…"

Dunc couldn't keep the small smile off his lips at that.

"So, if you're up for going back in, I know one guy who prolly gonna be relieved to see ya."

Duncan nodded and looked over at Boxer, "Yeah, I'm up for that."

"Good." Box nodded, "Then we go back in and get us some proper coffee."

 **Okay. Cutting this off here.**


	127. Chapter 127

**Okay, let's see where this goes.**

The guys were sitting in the living room when Michelle made it back that evening.

Boxer had his hands wrapped around a big mug of coffee and his eyes were flickering between Coop and Dunc, and Katie sleeping in the crib next to the couch.

Duncan was holding what looked like a sheet of paper with lots of writing on it.

And Cooper was doing something Michelle didn't think a man with such big hands, paws, could do. At least not as well as obviously was doing it.

"And then you need two rounds in that color, with those…" Duncan whirled his hand around as he tried to explain, "With those long masks…"

"What kind?"

"The longest one… Gimme a sec to find the word for it… It's the T with two extra bars on it…" Duncan frowned, "Treble! Treble crochet!"

"Okay…" Coop nodded as he started doing what Duncan had just told him, "Told you those things were impossible to understand."

"It's not…" Duncan frowned, "It's just… I don't know the words for these… But I understand what it's supposed to be just fine…"

Michelle stood in the door opening for a few more seconds before she planned on announcing her arrival. She watched Coop a little more, before it dawned on her what was even more confusing than seeing the giant man crochet in the first place.  
It didn't dawn on her at first, but when she finally realized what seemed odd it almost made her laugh.

As far as she knew, Cooper was one of the most left handed people she knew.  
Okay, she had heard stories that he was supposed to be a decent shot with both hands, but she had also seen him trying to operate a pen with his right the last time he was over, and that was Mission:Failure straight away.  
But he was actually crocheting right handed. And the result was pretty good too. At least judging from where she was standing.

She shook her head in amazement and decided it was time to let them know she was there, in case she had managed to actually sneak up on three Delta's.

"Hey there…" she said softly, almost chortling as Boxer jumped in his seat.

"Wow. Hey!" he chuckled, one hand momentarily leaving his coffee mug to press a flat palm against his chest, "You back now? -Don't tell Jack you actually scared me…"

"It'll be our secret." Michelle chuckled and shook her head, "Have you four had a nice day?"

Coop shrugged from where he was laying, "Saw some stuff on the news that we didn't like…"

"Virginia?"

"Yeah?" Dunc nodded, "Is that where Jack was headed?"

"No… That was the reason I was called in." Michelle admitted, "Phoenix sent a few from their medical staff over there. I just had to go in and do some routine work."

Dunc nodded.

"So? You know where Jack and Mac are headed?" Boxer asked, looking up at Michelle.

"I don't know if I can tell you…" Michelle winced, "But you can probably send him a text and he'll answer if it's okay. I don't know much anyway."

Boxer nodded and had his phone out straight away.

"So… You found something to do with your hands…" Michelle asked Cooper while Boxer was texting Jack.

"Yeah. Dunc found it for me…"

"That's really good." Michelle admired as she moved closer to study Coop's handiwork, "But you're doing it right handed… Isn't that even harder for you?"

Coop chuckled, "I learned it this way…"

"Was his Physical Therapist's genius idea when he had to get his hand working again, after fixing all those scars on that paw…" Dunc shot in, "Has provided all of us with a lot of beanies after that."

Michelle chuckled, "So that's where Jack's beanie collection stems from…"

Cooper chuckled, "Yeah."

"So… What are you making now?" Michelle asked and studied the recently started crochet project.

"This." Duncan said and geld up the picture of the baby dress he was reading the instructions for.

"Hopefully." Cooper added, "I'm not familiar with those plans there…"

"I'm map reader…" Duncan chuckled, and waved the sheets back and forth.

"-And I'm an innocent bystander." Boxer grinned, "But they seem to be doing pretty good."

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, what Coop's holding in his hands looks like it easily could end up looking like that picture. Just other colors. I'm impressed."

"Thanks!" Both Coop and Dunc answered in unison.

"I'd never get this far without him decoding that instruction paper, I swear they make those things in Greek."

"Reading this ain't hard." Duncan shook his head, "Actually making it into a real thing though… I'd never be able to do that."

"It's not that hard…"

"Knitting is easier." Duncan shook his head, "Miss Waters tried teaching me that sorcery right there too. It always ended up a mess."

"Dude, I've tried knitting. That's just a whole bunch of impossible." Coop shook his head, "And I've tried learning it both righty and lefty…"

"How are you doing by the way?" Michelle asked and looked towards Coop's leg where it was elevated.

"Took another set of pills a short hour ago…" Coop replied, "So not all that bad right now…"

"Considering he's laying still." Dunc shot in, "And has something to keep his mind off his leg."

"Alright…" Coop nodded, "You're right… But considering… Right now is about as comfortable as I'm going to get the next couple of days anyway…"

"Buenos Aires…" Boxer interrupted suddenly, "That's where Jack's going."

Michelle nodded.

"Some extraction of an American the Argentinians believe to be an high level American spy. And he's definitely not that." Boxer shrugged.

"Exactly." Michelle nodded.

"Hope it'll go quickly." Boxer shrugged, "Must be a nice little mission if everything goes quick."

"But one hell of a mess when you first start meeting trouble…" Coop darted in."

"Yeah." Boxer agreed.

They all fell silent for a little while before Michelle looked over at Katie's crib. "So, did everything go well here in the meanwhile? I hope she didn't cause too much trouble…"

"Nah…" Duncan shook his head, "I had to take her for a short walk earlier. She was a little cranky. But she's been an angel all day."

"Good." Michelle smiled, "You guys hungry? Want me to whip together some dinner?"

"It's not necessary for our sake." Duncan shook his head, "You're probably tired from work already…"

"Well, I'm kinda hungry myself…" Michelle shrugged, "So here's your chance. Anyone want some hot food?"

"I can help ya…" Boxer offered as he got up, "Not promisin' I'll be the best assistant you've ever had in the kitchen, but…"

Michelle grinned, "You'll probably do just fine. But, Coop, Dunc… You want something to eat."

Dunc looked at Coop, "He should eat some."

"Not hungry?" Michelle asked and tilted her head, looking at Coop.

"Nah…" Coop shook his head, "I tend to have piss-poor appetite when I'm…" he let go of the crochet stuff with his left hand and gestured to his leg, "When I'm not up for moving around freely."

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"He's eaten one and a half slices of bread. Had some milk and some coffee…" Dunc answered before Coop got the chance.

"You're getting some food then." Michelle concluded, crossing her arms.

"No…" Coop frowned, "I don't need… I don't think I'm up for it."

"A guy your size needs more food than that."

Coop nodded, but quickly shook his head too. "I'm just not hungry. And it feels like whatever I'm eating is growing in my mouth…"

"So… You're kinda nauseous?"

Coop shrugged, then nodded. "Guess so. I'm just not hungry."

"Well, you're all getting food whether you want to or not." Michelle sighed, "And I know something you might be able to get down anyway. You don't have to eat up if it doesn't sit well with you… But you should try it anyway."

Coop nodded, "I'll try. –But no promises."

"That's alright." Michelle nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"So…" Box shrugged as they stepped into the kitchen, "What's the plan?"

"As cliché as it comes… Chicken soup." Michelle answered with a small shrug, "It's one of the only things I can get down when I'm feeling ill. So it's worth a shot."

"Chicken soup is usually good…" Boxer nodded, "What do you need me to do?"

"Can I trust you with a knife, chopping board and carrots?"

"Sure. As long as you tell me how you want them chopped so…" Boxer nodded.

 **Okay. End of this chapter.**


	128. Chapter 128

**Okay, first I feel the need to apologize. It's been like FOREVER since I last posted a chapter, or anything, here. And I have to apologize for this being such a short chapter too. Sorry.  
I blame school for not posting more often… (I'm having the time of my life at the university by the way, and I really feel I fell into the right course and met the right people to make this experience as painless as possible.)  
What else is 'new'? Oh, yeah… I no longer live in total "just moved in" chaos. Now it's just regular old 'too much to do in general, and continuously bumping tidying down on the to-do list' -chaos… **

Duncan smiled as Katie woke up and started making noises again. He was pretty quick about picking her up after she started to fuzz.

"You know, if I didn't know you as well, I'd bet you were ready to settle down with a wife and a few kids." Cooper half teased.

Duncan rolled his eyes and rubbed Katie's back until she settled down.

"Watch out, or next one producing an offspring might just be you…" Duncan raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at Coop, "I'd laugh until I died by the way…"

Coop stared blankly at him.

"Come on…" Dunc smirked, "It would be hilarious."

"…Why?"

"Come on…" Dunc chuckled, "You're good with kids when they're older… But man… The way you tense up when someone presents you with a baby… Hilarious."

Coop rolled his eyes, "Go screw yourself."

"I mean it. It's hilarious to witness."

"It's not that fun…" Cooper shook his head, "I mean, it's not like I turn into stone or anything…"

"It looks like it's pretty freaking close though." Dunc smirked, and acted like he was about to place little Katie on top of Coop. His face folding into one of discontent when Coop didn't react how he expected him to. "You're obviously immune to her…"

"Jack left me alone with her…" Coop raised his eyebrows, "What did you expect?"

"I don't know…" Dunc shrugged as he brought Katie back up to his chest again, "Maybe flinch away or something…"

Coop shook his head. "You make me sound like I'm totally useless."

"Not useless." Dunc shrugged, "You just look very uncomfortable around small humans who can't talk or take care of themselves on a basic level…"

"They look too fragile." Coop shrugged.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Boxer stood chopping carrots as Michelle's phone vibrated. He stopped what he was doing and watched as Michelle rinsed off her hands and stepped over to where her phone was laying on the kitchen table.

She spent a couple of seconds reading whatever message had come in, typed a reply and then she placed the phone back on the table.

"Now?"

"They were doing just fine." Michelle smiled, "He wanted to know how Katie were doing… I said that she was charming her uncles to death…"

Boxer chuckled, "Yeah, she is."

"How does it feel to be the one at home?"

"The one hoping that their SO doesn't come home in a body bag?"

Boxer shrugged, then nodded. "Yeah."

"My pulse has a tendency to be a little high when he's away." Michelle admitted, "And there's no 'waiting to check my phone' when it buzzes."

"Yeah, I figured." Boxer nodded, "I remember when I retired, and one thing my ma told me was that she'd finally be able to relax and not be afraid of getting _that call_ at all odd hours of they day, or night."

Michelle nodded, "Oh, I really hope that little one in there doesn't figure out that she wants to be just like her dad when she grows up…"

"That could be interesting…"

Michelle nodded, "I wonder who she's going to grow up to be…"

Box nodded, saying nothing.

"I mean, she could be this really sweet and gentle girl, but knowing who her father is she could also turn out to be this hardcore chick that decides that it's a good idea to hang after a motorcycle on rollerblades."

Box smirked, "She'll have you to balance her out if she turns out to be a little too much Wyatt…"

"I'm not entirely sure that's how personalities work…"

"Me neither…" Box chuckled, "But I'm sure of one thing, Katie is going to be a great person, no matter who of you she takes most after. You're both good people."

Michelle smiled, "Thanks."

 **Q: Did you guys enjoy the season premiere this weekend?  
-I enjoyed it, but I really hope I misunderstood one line during the last-ish scene.**


	129. Chapter 129

**Okay, here comes another one. Hope you enjoy.**

OF COURSE it didn't go as smoothly as they planned. Or hoped. That just wasn't how things worked out for them. Ever.

Jack hunkered down next to an overturned couch, hoping that the hail of bullets would somehow miss him and the others. He had four bullets left on him, and there were seven guys shooting in their direction right at the very moment. Not even he liked those odds.

He didn't have a good position, he didn't have enough bullets.

THEY were screwed.

 _"_ _Hey Jack…"_ it was Riley's voice coming through his earpiece, _"Think you can create a distraction old man…?"_

"What kind?"

 _"_ _Just something. Your choice."_

Jack looked around a little, there was no way he was going to stand up and expose himself right now. So that left shooting either at the guys shooting at them, or at something in a hope that it would either drop down or make a lot of noise.

He caught eye of a few barrels with flammable signs on them. Was it too risky? He squinted and tried to make out what kind of substance could be inside, but he quickly figured the crates were too far away to read even for a twenty-something with 20-20 vision.

"Hey, can anyone read what that barrels next to the van are?"

It took a few seconds before Mac answered, _"Yeah, and if you're thinking of shooting it, you'll be blowing up the whole building. Us included."_

"Okay… I don't want to end up as BBQ yet…" Jack grimaced, "Anything there I can shoot and just make a medium kaboom?"

 _"_ _No."_

"Figured." Jack rolled his eyes and edged closer to the corner. Then he prepared to pull off a shot or two. "Okay, I'm shooting blind. -At the guys with guns, I'll avoid shooting near the van…"

 _"_ _When?"_

"Three… Two…" he started loud enough to be sure his teammates caught on to it, then he mumbled one and fired when he would have said zero.

At the same time as he fired, he caught a glimpse of Riley sprinting up some stairs off to his right. -He also heard a strangled cry that didn't seem to belong to any of his friends.

 _"_ _Good job Jack!"_ Bozer quietly cheered, _"You got one of them in the neck!"_

Then it suddenly revealed itself, the reason Riley had sprinted up the stairs. And it revealed itself in the glorious form of three bags of corn or something coming flying down on top of the remaining black clothed people shooting at them. Jack had to give it to her, she was a lot stronger than she looked.

Two of the bags hit their marks perfectly, throwing _three_ of the mercenaries to the floor. The third bag missed another guy with a yard or so. And the three guys, three bullets equation that left him with was one he liked much more than the one he had had earlier.  
And all the distraction over there made it possible for him to stand up and quickly take aim of them. Three rapid shots later, the three guys weren't any problem for them anymore.

Mac was the first one to get over to the mercenaries, efficiently knocking the two still half consciously trying to free themselves from the 110 lbs looking bag off of themselves. The third guy who had taken the full weight of one of the bags laid face down, begging for help.

"Looks like you paralyzed that guy…" Bozer remarked when Riley came back down to them.

"Yeah, looks like it." Riley nodded, showing a bit of remorse, "But he should have known better than to shoot at us…"

"Yeah, well… Let's get out of here before any of their friends show up." Jack sighed, "This Kevin Grey dude ain't here anyway…"

Mac nodded and glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, better get going before reinforcements arrive."

Riley nodded too, then she focused on how Jack was standing, almost all his weight on his left. "You good? Is your leg bothering you?"

Jack shook his head and shifted his weight, bearing it mostly on the right. "Nah, I'm good."

"Just making sure…" Riley winked, "You'll tell us if that changes, right?"

Jack nodded, "Don't worry about it…"

"Hey, it's not that long since you got back in the game, allow us to worry a little bit, okay?" Bozer shot in.

Jack nodded, "Okay. Yeah. But let's get outta here. Like, fast."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

He shivered. Not because it was cold or anything. But he was honest to God fearing for his life, and that seemed to cause him to shiver uncontrollably.

He tucked his knees a little closer and sent up a silent prayer to whatever greater power that had their antennas on. He needed help. He needed a miracle.

Waking up one day and seeing your face on the news with a banner translating to 'American spy', that was something that flipped your life upside down in an instant. Especially when you had nothing at all to do with anything even remotely spy related.

Instinctively he had packed a small bag with only a few essential items, and headed out. Out of his living room, out of his apartment. His plan was 'out of the country', but first he had to get out of town.

That didn't go as smoothly as it could. No. In the last five minutes alone, he had stripped down to the t-shirt he wore under his shirt, and praised like four different gods for his decision to wear jeans and not suit pants this day. Then he had jumped into a recycling bin, rolled around like a pig in the mud, and now he was sitting, shivering inside a cardboard box. Hoping his tan was good enough to come across as a local who spent most of his time outside, and hoping that he'd done a decent enough job in the 'looking homeless department' to not be bothered too much by the police or whoever he had heard questioning people further down the street.

How was he going to avoid questioning? How was he going to fool them? If he had to speak a lot, they would be sure to catch his accent. He was fluent, but he hadn't been able to shake his American accent.

"I'm deaf…" He nodded to himself, satisfied with the only option his brain come up with, "Deaf-mute."

He nodded a little more, then he hugged himself tighter and focused on not looking towards sounds.

 _Sordo._

 _Sordo…_

 _S-o-r-d-o…_

 _Deaf._

Heavy, determined footfalls were headed his way.

-Do not look towards them-

Someone barked an order in Spanish, requesting him to stand up. He focused on not even looking at them. The man barked louder, and it was just luck that he didn't flinch this time.

Then a hand came down on his collar and dragged him out of his box.

A shocked sound left his lips but he guessed that was alright. He held his arms up in front of himself, almost expecting a blow. He let his eyes flicker between the four men in uniform above him. It wasn't the police, but it was some sort of police-looking uniform they wore.

One of them, the leader of the small group maybe, asked a question. Kevin made sure not to look straight at the guy once he started talking. But once he had looked around the rest of the group, and finally made it to the speaking one, he let his eyes lock on the guys lips. As if he was trying to read his lips.

After a few more seconds, the man with the mustache started to get impatient when he didn't answer his question.

 _'_ _Here goes nothing…'_ Kevin thought, and hoped he'd ace the fake 'deaf person trying to speak' sound. He pointed to one of his ears, and tried his best to butcher the word completely, "Sordo…"

Obviously bad enough, cause the next word he had barked his way was 'qué'.

He pointed to his ear again, and started to write the word in the dust where he sat.

"Eres sordo?"

Kevin didn't look towards the guy asking, so he didn't answer. Not before he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up to have the same question repeated, slower this time and with the man in the uniform pointing at him, then the word in the dust.

This time he nodded.

Then the man knelt down in front of him, directly in front of him. He pulled out a photo from his vest, and showed it to him. Then he flicked the photo down and pointed to his own lips.

"¿Has visto a este hombre?"

Kevin was glad it was an old photo of him, from wen he was about fifteen pounds heavier, and had a nice buzzcut like haircut. He was a little surprised that they didn't immediately recognize him though. It wasn't _that_ different.

He shrugged, like he wasn't able to understand what the guy in front of him was asking.

The guy in front of him didn't miss a beat, he used the same trick as he had done seconds earlier, and wrote his question down in the sand. Then he held up the photo again.

Kevin looked at the words written in the sand, then at the photo of himself, then repeated the process a time or two before he shook his head while looking at the guy in front of him.

"¿No?"

Kevin shook his head again, and wrote down 'no' in the sand.

The guy in front of him sighed and looked at the others, shaking his head.

Then he squeezed Kevin's shoulder, making sure to have his attention. With a smile he brought both his hands to his chin, and then moved them forward and a little out to the side. Just like the ASL sign for thanks, but with both hands. "Gracias."

Kevin smiled and nodded, trying his best to hide that he was stressed to the max, and that his heart was beating fast enough to keep up with Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out of Hell'.

The men in uniform continued up the alley, and Kevin waited a minute or two before he dared to get on his way.

Maybe he wouldn't have been the worst spy ever, but honestly… That little run in right there did not make him crave more of the same.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Yeah, Matty… He wasn't here." Jack drawled.

"No. I know…" Matty answered quickly, "We just spotted someone who has to be Kevin Grey off a backstreet downtown. -Just a little bit dirtier…"

"Dirtier?"

"Remember Warsaw?"

"When I went dumpster diving to avoid being caught? How could I forget…" Jack answered rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, looks like he played copycat…" Matty chuckled, "I have to admit, you wore it better than him…"

Jack growled.

"Well, if we could get a location, we can get moving and hopefully get home soon…" Riley cut in.

"Sending location now…" Jill's voice said off screen, and Riley's phone buzzed a second later.

"Thanks Jill!"

"No problem."

 **Okay. So… Hopefully I'll be able to write the next chapter soon. (Not making any promises though…)**

 **And in case I totally butchered the little Spanish I used. Sorry. I hope I am forgiven.**


	130. Chapter 130

**Okay. Let's see what fun we can make out of this now.**

As comfortable as he was going to get for the next couple of days, maybe for the next week or so too, weren't actually all that comfortable at all.

He found himself biting down on his tongue and the inside of his cheeks to distract himself.

Eventually he figured he didn't have enough concentration to continue his little crochet project. With a subtle combined grimace and sigh, he folded the not yet finished dress and placed it on the table beside him.

Concentration-wise, he would have enjoyed to go for a run, work out or something, burn up some energy he didn't really feel like he had right now. Pain-wise he knew that would be one of the worst ideas in the history of ideas.

"Got tired?"

He shrugged, then shook his head.

"Pain?"

He shrugged. Then nodded.

"Meds ain't cutting it?"

"They definitely make it better."

"But…"

"Still feel it plenty…" Coop admitted and shot his leg a dirty look. "Oh, and I'm bored."

"Of course you are…" Dunc smirked, "I expected that just as much as I expected the sun to come up this morning…"

"I'm not that predictable…"

"You are." Dunc countered, "And I've known you for a really, really long time. There really isn't that many surprises left in this relationship…"

"Dude, I'm not in the mood for joking like that now…"

"Hey, don't blame me for trying…" Dunc shrugged, offering up a sideways smirk.

Coop shook his head disbelief, "You're damaged, you know that?"

"Yeah?" Dunc chuckled, "You ain't no better…"

"Touché…" yawned and brought his arms above his head to crack his back, "At least we're not alone about it…"

Dunc grinned, "No. That's true."

They were cut off by little Katie who started to make a little noise from her place in her crib.

"Uh-oh…" Coop frowned, "Sounds like the warmup…"

Dunc nodded and got to his feet to walk over to her.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Don't you think this is going to be tasty?" Michelle asked as she put some more spices into the casserole.

"Sure smells tasty." Box grinned, "Let's hope our patient is able to get some down."

Michelle nodded, "Yeah, I hope so too…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

It didn't take long before the little princess started wailing.

"Yep, that's the baby equivalent to an air-raid alert…" Coop frowned, "What is it this time?"

"Your guess is as good as mine…" Dunc shrugged as he scooped Katie up and started going through the baby flowchart, eventually ending up with 'hungry' as the best option.

"Think I'm gonna go disturb Michelle a little bit." Dunc shrugged, "She can decide if she wants to deal with this in person or if she has a bottle ready that can be heated up in a hurry."

When he turned around to look at Coop again, he almost laughed at how the blond had thrown an arm over his eyes, effectively blocking out the light. As an additional touch, he had the shoulder of that same arm pressed against the ear on the same side, and his other hand was pressed against the ear on the other side.

He chuckled and headed towards the kitchen, gently rocking Katie while he walked.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey, not to disturb or anything… But I think she might be hungry…" Dunc winced as he crossed the doorsill to the kitchen, "Or something… Do you have a bottle ready, or would you like to take her?"

"Yeah, I'll take her." Michelle nodded, "Can one of you look after that casserole? When it starts boiling, bring it down a little bit and let it simmer for about five minutes…"

Box and Dunc shared a slightly frightened look, but eventually nodded.

"If it proves to be too difficult for you badass soldiers, you can come and get me… I'll be in the nursery…"

 **Okay… I think I'm gonna cut this off here. See you another day.**


	131. Chapter 131

**Okay… What to write, what to write…**

 **I hope this isn't boring as hell. That's kind of the problem with writing stuff. You write and write and write, and it all seems boring and WAAAAAAAY too predictable.**

 **Anyway… Here we go.**

"Three hundred and forty meters…" he whispered to himself, as he looked down the path for any signs of how the wind was doing. "About two meters per second wind, from the left…"

He adjusted his aim, "Elevation, forty meters…"

It wasn't his rifle, but he had had enough time to get somewhat familiar with it and check that it worked properly. It did.

He adjusted a little more, and checked the leaves, clotheslines and other stuff for a sign of wind again.

Then he squeezed off a shot. The recoil pressed against his shoulder, and the suppressed shot rang out. He'd really like one of those Hollywood silencers by the way, one of those which completely erased every decibel the weapon produced.

The Jeep sank down on its deflated wheel, and that would buy them a little time for when the men were planning to head on to their next location.

 _"_ _Good shot, old man…"_ Riley's voice came through his ear.

"Ah… Not my best one… But okay…" Jack shrugged back.

 _"_ _Jack, not all the shots can be twofers…"_ Mac half-chuckled.

"Now THAT, that was a good couple of shots." Jack grinned back over the coms.

 _"_ _Do I even want to know?"_ Bozer's voice asked.

 _"_ _Back in Afghanistan… Jack took out four guys who planned on making my day a whole lot worse out with two shots."_ Mac answered, and Jack could almost hear the 'this is normal' shrug in his partner's voice.

"Actually, I think they planned on killin' ya…"

 _"_ _Well, of course they did…"_ Boze shot in, _"Not that I really needed to know that."_

 _"_ _Hey, you know what I do for a living now… You're actually doing it yourself too…"_

 _"_ _Yeah. Yeah I know! But in all the letters and skype calls we had when you were over there, you made it sound like you were pretty safe. This does not sound like you were pretty safe."_

Jack could feel Mac shrug his shoulders even though he were out of sight for him, _"Well, it's all history now, right? And hey, I'm still breathing…"_

 _"_ _Yeah, because of pure luck…"_

"Can we say a little _skill_ too?" Jack chuckled, "I thought that four for two was pretty sweet. And a few of the other shot's I've pulled off during our time as a team…"

 _"_ _I'd say there's a good deal of skill in the equation too…"_ Mac shot in, his grin mirrored in his voice.

"Thank you." Jack grinned back.

 _"_ _But okay… Now that we have slowed them down, maybe we should get going so we don't lose our advantage…"_ Riley offered.

The others agreed.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Go two blocks north, then one east." Jill instructed, "Kevin Grey is headed west on that same street. And unless he changes direction you'll meet him pretty quickly then."

"Thanks Jill!" Riley grinned.

"What kind of clothes is he wearing?" Jack asked, "I got the 'looks like he went dumpster diving' memo, but…"

"White t-shirt, -no longer all white." Jill chuckled, "Jeans, and shoes that would fit well with any suit."

"Okay, so look for someone who looks like a homeless who received new clothes from some sort of goodwill a little while ago. Like whole clothes, but dirty? And way too fancy shoes for the look?"

"Exactly." Jill nodded, "But I'd hurry if I were you. Grey is walking pretty fast."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"See him?" Bozer asked as he nodded in the general direction of the guy he presumed was Kevin Grey.

"Yeah." Jack nodded, "That sure looks like him."

"What are we gonna do?" Bozer asked.

"Moldova." Mac said straight away, looking towards Jack for confirmation that the older man recalled what had gone down in Moldova.

"Care to share what that means to the two of us who obviously weren't there?"

"Moldova." Jack nodded, "Short version is, one of us hides on a corner. The other, others, guide our target towards that corner without making it too obvious."

"Will that work?"

"Worked for those guys in Moldova…" Mac shrugged, "And if it fails, we'll still have the possibility of doing it the hard way."

"-Worked for th… What?"

"I might have gotten Jack-napped…" Jack shrugged, "Mac got me pretty quickly though."

"Jack-napped…" Bozer repeated, his brows falling down in disappointment.

"Jack, you take the corner." Mac instructed, "We three press him into walking against the wall here."

"How?" Bozer frowned.

"Maybe Boze and I should switch?" Jack offered, "Dude looks about as intimidating as a wet sock…"

"This isn't about looking intimidating…" Mac shook his head before he looked towards Bozer, "And just watch me… -Actually it's not sure you have to do anything…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Bozer watched as Mac pulled out a tourist map he had picked up in the lobby of a hostel.

Mac spread it out and did his best 'confused backpacker' act. Holding the map up in front of him, looking clueless as he walked down the street. Right up until he bumped straight into the dirtied up Kevin Grey.

"Oh, excuse me!"

Bozer was impressed by how British Mac managed to sound.

Kevin Grey nodded and tried rushing away, but Mac interfered.

"Excuse me, you're local, am I right?" Mac allowed himself to slow Kevin's getaway with a touch to his shoulder, "Do you speak English?"

Bozer was impressed that Mac managed to make Kevin feel safe enough to actually stop and listen to him. Well, Mac didn't look like he could provide too much danger to anyone. But, having sparred against Mac during workouts, Bozer hoped to never end up in a real fist fight with the guy. Not unless he had both hands tied behind his back to compensate for that incredible brain he had.

"Yes…"

"See, I am a little lost. I'm looking for the El Ateneo Bookstore… But I believe I'm absolutely lost."

"It's that way." Kevin Grey replied, the accent he had coated his 'yes' with seconds earlier had faded away completely.

"Oh thank you." Mac smiled, "In the direction you were headed?"

"Yes, but I don't think I'll be going that far."

Mac nodded and looked at his map, then in the direction of the bookstore. "Say, would you mind if I tagged along with you? Maybe you could explain how I get there exactly?"

Kevin Grey shrugged his shoulders, "I guess. But wouldn't you like to ask someone a little cleaner?"

Mac shrugged back, "No, I don't mind. In fact, excuse me if I smell a little. Doing the world on a shoestring doesn't always put one in position to do laundry whenever it presents itself as a good idea."

The older man chuckled, "Been there, done that…"

"You have?"

"Yeah…" Kevin nodded and gestured down the street, "I backpacked through Europe back when I was in my early twenties. So this was back in the early nineties."

Mac nodded and started slowly walking, Kevin did too.

"I'm headed back to Europe next, albeit not the UK yet." Mac chuckled, "Got any advice for sights I have to see in the south of Europe?"

"Oh yes. Yes I do…"

"Like what?"

"Which countries are you doing?"

"All of them, except for Montenegro."

"Well, then…" Kevin nodded, "Of course the classics, like the leaning tower of Pisa, the ruins in Athens…"

"Any that I won't find on the first page in many travel guides?"

And that was right when Jack's hand reached out and grabbed the back of Kevin Grey's t-shirt collar, yanking him off the main street with a yelp.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Shhh… Shhhh… We're not here to harm ya…" Jack whispered as he half chocked Kevin Grey, "We're the good guys."

"Yeah, Jack… I think he would believe you more if you weren't currently chocking him…" Riley rolled her eyes.

Jack didn't let up his hold much, "Okay, listen now… We're Americans, and our boss sent us here to pick you up and bring you back to safety. Alright. Now can you avoid running off, and screaming like hell when I let go?"

Kevin Grey swallowed visibly, before he croaked out a 'yes'.

Jack let up his hold entirely.

"Americans?"

"Yeah, thought we already covered that…" Jack nodded, "We're bringing you back home, if that's alright with you…"

Kevin nodded, his eyes still wide as could be.

"Alright, now we just have to get to exfil, and we're good." Mac shrugged in his normal American accent, causing Kevin Grey's eyebrows to jerk up.

"Is it far?"

"Just a couple of clicks." Jack grinned behind him, "We could probably jog there if we had to…"

"So, ready to go?" Bozer jerked his head in what he assumed was the general direction of the exfil.

Kevin nodded, still looking about as afraid as one could get.

 **Okay. So. That was today's chapter. Hope you enjoyed.  
And I hoped all of you liked the latest episode as much as I did.  
Don't yell at me if I adopt the line: "South of the border, still not in Hell'  
I probably will… I love the 'could've been worse' vibe it has, or 'at least we're not dead yet…'vibe.**

 **Okay, hope you enjoyed.  
Oh, and yeah. The word document is now more than 600 pages. 606 to be exact. WTF happened?  
Thank you all so much for sticking with me and letting me know what you think about what comes out of my head. **


	132. Chapter 132

**Aaaand WE'RE BACK!**

Duncan came back right when he was attempting to get up.

Duncan stopped a couple of steps inside the living room, and looked towards him with an amused smirk.

Coop knew his attempt at getting up off the couch probably looked about as hopeless as it felt.

"You need any help there?"

He couldn't help but try a second or two more just in case he ended up being able to get up on his own. When he realized that all hope was lost, he laid back down with a sigh. "Thought you'd never ask…"

"What's the main problem?"

"The main problem is my leg…"

"Well duh…" Dunc chuckled, "I knew that already…"

Coop shook his head a little and scowled down at his leg, "Problem number one is that I can't lift my leg with my leg. And the second problem is that I'm afraid of how much more it's gonna hurt when I move it…"

Dunc nodded.

"Third one is that the table is a little bit close to the couch…"

Dunc nodded again, this time stepping forward and dragging the table away from the couch. "Like that?"

"Thanks…"

"You think it would be okay if I helped lift your leg down from those cushions?"

Coop swallowed hard.

"Do you trust me?"

Coop pressed his lips hard together, and let out a little growl, "It's not that I don't trust you… It's my leg I don't trust."

Dunc nodded, "You need to get up?"

"I need to take a piss." Coop sighed heavily.

Dunc chuckled, "Okay, if grab a hold under your knee and heel, and lift very gently… How does that sound?"

"Sounds like it could be a lot of no fun…" Coop chuckled, "But it also sounds like the only way to do it."

"Okay. Should I just go ahead and… Do it?"

Coop nodded.

Dunc nodded again, "Let me know if I do anything that hurts your leg, alright…"

"Oh, you'll know when I scream or when you get a fist slamming down wherever I can reach."

"Really not a fan of that last version of dealing with pain."

"Me neither."

"So, I'm gonna slip my hands in under your cast. And then lift. Now where do you want me to place it? On the couch, or down? Like heel resting against the floor."

"Try couch first?"

"Okay, we'll try down on the couch first…" Dunc nodded, "You want to sit up first, or do you want to stay like that until your leg is lower?"

Coop spent a couple of seconds contemplating, "Stay in this position. Sit up later."

Dunc gave a short nod as he slipped his hands under Coop's cast. Then he very gently eased Coop's leg off the cushions it rested on, and just as carefully moved it to the side before he eased it down on the couch itself.

"How was that."

"Not as bad as I feared." Coop answered mechanically.

"Bro, I can hear your molars creaking…" Dunc chuckled, "-Not as bad as you feared?"

"Been better…"

"No shit…" Dunc smirked, "Ready for step two? Sitting up?"

"Yeah…" Coop nodded and propped himself up on his elbows to make it easier for himself to sit up.

"Okay, you didn't need me for that." Dunc grinned, "Ready for the next one too?"

Coop sounded his lack of enthusiasm for the idea.

"Come on Lurch…"

Coop took in a deep breath of air before he nodded and held up a hand in anticipation of help up.

"Don't you want your leg down first?" Dunc asked looking at where the cast covered leg was rested against the couch, "I mean, it will just slide off the couch if you stand up now…"

Coop nodded, "Good thinking. Thanks…"

"I'm not entirely sure what kind of meds that doctor prescribed to deal with your pain, but they seem to be doing something to all three of your braincells."

"I distinctly remember you claimed there was four of them…"

"Nah…" Dunc shook his head, "I think the fourth one left the building when you decided to skydive with the rest of us during the bachelor party…"

"Hey, that wasn't how I got hurt…"

"No, but you were already hurt. -Just not as badly as you are now…" Duncan shrugged and moved to get a hold of Coop's leg again, to place his heel on the floor this time around.

"Alright, alright…" Coop nodded as he watched Dunc, "You might have a point…"

"What? What was that? I didn't hear you…"

"You did, and you know it."

"Know that I was right about that? Hell yeah I do know I was right."

"Shut it…" Coop groaned, "It's absolutely not fair to punch a man when he's down…"

"It tends to be an effective way to make him continue to stay down…" Dunc chuckled as he rested Coop's heel against the carpet on the floor. "How's that?"

Coop shrugged, "Can't wait until it's all healed up…"

Dunc nodded, while Coop once again brought his hand up in anticipation for a little help to get up.

"Alright, let's get you up!"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Okay, here are your crutches…" Dunc said as he handed Coop his crutches, and stepped away to give Coop some room.

Then he watched as Coop hobbled towards the door.

"Hey, one thing…"

"Yeah?"

"Don't lock the door when you're in there…" Dunc tilted his head a little as he studied how Coop moved.

Coop didn't reply.

"It's just… I don't really trust that you won't get yourself into trouble, and I don't have my lockpick set on me…"

This time Coop chuckled a little.

"So… Don't lock, alright?"

"Yes mom…"

"Seriously, I mean it."

"I know you do…" Coop nodded, "I won't lock the door, relax."

"Okay, I'll be in the kitchen, just-"

"If you say anything resembling 'just call if you need help', I might just have to punch you…"

"Okay, I won't say that…" Dunc nodded, "-Just try not to fall over. Okay?"

"I don't plan on falling…" Coop shook his head, "Now, could you get out of my way so I don't have to take a detour around the table?"

"Sure thing." Dunc nodded as he stepped out of Coop's way.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

One thing was for sure, moving around wasn't fun. So his new plan was to limit all movement to a minimum.

He didn't like how his breathing sounded strained even though he tried to even it out. An involuntary grunt or two escaped him before he noticed it was about to happen.

And the worst thing, apart from the pain, was that the struggle of it caused him to start sweating like crazy. At least compared to the rather mild level of physical stress he put on himself.

He finished his business by the toilet and hobbled over the sink to wash his hands.

The intensity of how his leg throbbed inside the cast was crazy, and he couldn't believe that it would probably get even worse before he started getting better. That knowledge was unfortunately based on experience. And he knew the next week wouldn't suck any less. And then it probably wouldn't hurt any less for a while after the surgery Pete and the other doctor had planned for him either.

"Dude… This suuuuucks…" he chuckled and shook his head to himself, before he shook off water from his hands before he simply dried his hands on the end of his t-shirt.

He then went back towards the living room, stopping quickly by the kitchen where Dunc and Box were.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Hey man, how are you doing?" Box asked as Coop came through the open door.

Coop shrugged, "Been worse. -Can't exactly remember when, but I've been worse…"

The corner of Box's lips curved up in a smirk, "Good."

Coop nodded lazily, "Yeah."

"Hey, you should prolly get back to the couch and kick your leg back up again…"

"Probably…" Coop agreed and crutched a step back, "That thing in that casserole actually smells pretty good…"

Box nodded, "Michelle started some chicken soup, it's almost done. And yeah, smells amazing."

Coop nodded and did a quick smile, then he hobbled back towards the couch.

"Hey Coop? Need help?" Dunc called after him just as he left Dunc's field of view.

"Nah…" Coop answered over his shoulder, "I'm good."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"That man is weird…" Box shook his head after they heard Coop sit back down on his own.

"You really have to be more specific you know…" Dunc chuckled, "I know he's weird, but you do need to be more specific…"

"His way of dealing with pain…" Box shrugged, "Either he ignores it completely, like it's just not happening at all. Remember that time he broke his elbow AND dislocated his shoulder, and it was all bent out of shape?"

"Yeah, and the only thing we heard about it was 'Dammit, AGAIN?'" Dunc acted in a voice so low he expected that Coop wouldn't hear it. "I mean it would have to hurt enough to warrant more than just that…"

Box nodded, "Now compare it to the time he dislocated his shoulder when we were hiking in the Sierra Nevada's"

"Oh… Yeah…" Dunc nodded with a frown, "The level of pain he showed wasn't comparable to the injury either…"

Box nodded. "But… I do believe it hurts when he acts like it…"

"Yeah, no doubt about it…" Dunc nodded, "My guess is that he acts tough when he HAS to act tough, and then he lets his guard down when he can…"

Box nodded and lowered the temperature on the plate the soup was on.

 **Okay, so… Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	133. Chapter 133

**Okay, let's throw another one out there. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do.**

 **Let's get going, shall we?**

"How's it looking up in the air, Matty?" Jack growled as he hunched down behind a large trash can, hiding from the flying bullets.

"They're all inside of the buildings." Matty answered, her voice somewhat unsettled.

"You don't have eyes on in other words?" Mac asked.

"That's right blondie." Matty answered, "No cameras inside either of the buildings. We're basically blind over here."

"Well shit… That's just our luck…" Jack frowned and looked at the others, "Nothing you can do either, Riles?"

"If there is, I'm not seeing it."

"Anyone?" Jack tried.

No one answered.

"Well this is not the day I was hoping for…"

"Me neither buddy…" Mac frowned, his eyes darting between walls and objects in an attempt to find something that could be useful in their situation.

"Red brick building, third floor, second window from the right." Bozer almost shouted, "How many bullets have you got left Jack?"

"Picked up some from the guys we ran into earlier today." Jack grinned and showed one of the magazines he had filled up earlier.

"Think you can hit that window?"

"If I had the rifle I used earlier. No doubt about it…" Jack shrugged, "With this pistol? I better have some serious luck…"

"Still feeling like you're playing with the house's money?" Mac asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not really…" Jack admitted, "I'm a little stressed now…"

"Willing to give it a shot?" Bozer asked.

"Of course…" Jack nodded, then he looked at Bozer, "Are you packing heat?"

"I'm pretty close to empty…"

"Here, take this. Cover me."

"Cov-" Bozer stalled, "NO! You've got a wedding to attend next week. And it's YOUR OWN!"

"I'm still a better shot than you…"

"A little help here Mac…"

"Old man's got a point…" Riley declared, "As much as I hate it…"

Jack looked around the group, "Okay, we all clear on that now?"

He gave them all a second where they _could_ have answered, before he nodded and clicked off his safety. "Alright Boze… Now."

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

One thing that never felt great was the literal air pressure of a bullet rushing past your ear. Forget the noise, he didn't care too much for that, but the shift in pressure. Man, he hated that feeling.

He sprinted to then next place he had solid cover and squatted down. Then after a second or two he jumped up and fired a couple of shots at the window Bozer had picked out.

One of the bullets hit its mark and one of the four shooters stopped shooting.

He saw where the second shooter was located, and went for it.

Miss.

Miss.

Miss.

HIT!

He almost let go of a little whoop of joy, but remembered the setting he was in.

"Jack!" Mac called out, "STRAIGHT UP!"

Jack didn't have to think before he had his gun aimed above him. The tip of a gun came out of the window on the fourth floor. He waited a little. Waited for soft tissue to come to into view.

Then he squeezed off the shot.

And he hit. Elbow.

He waited, interested in seeing how set the guy was on shooting him back.

Sure enough a short minute later, probably just enough time for the guy to find something to put pressure on the wound on his shot arm, the other arm came out with a handgun. This time the shooter made the error of looking out of the window as well.

Last mistake that man ever made.

"Thanks kid."

"No problem." Mac called back.

"Okay, we've got one guy left." Bozer shrugged, "But I think he decided it was smart to hide a bit after seeing Jack taking out three of his buddies just like that."

"Anyone sure of where he was hiding?"

"Not sure…" Mac finally answered when the rest of them stayed silent.

"Well, got which side of the street he's on at least?"

"On the side you're at now…" Riley answered, and a Bozer made an agreeable noise.

Another bullet rushed past, a little too close for comfort.

Jack ducked down a little more, cussing as another few bullets came his way. All of them closer than he liked.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Riley almost cried out when she saw Jack double over and clutch his arm.

"Jack? How bad is it?"

Jack didn't answer, but in a blur of movement he spun around, popped up and emptied the rest of his mag at the remaining shooter. Then he ducked back down.

"Did I get him?"

The report of a rifle answered his question for him, and he shrunk down as much as he could while he changed his magazine.

"Jack, did you get hit?"

"Just a little…" Jack answered, "Enough to draw some blood, not bad enough to mess me up."

There was a pause in the shooting and Jack popped up again. Gun ready, aimed for where the guy had hidden.

The other one came into view again after changing _his_ magazine.

The air was suddenly filled with enough gunfire to make one believe one was in the middle of a warzone.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Then, all of the sudden, it was silent.

Jack had ducked down, or fallen down, behind his cover.

"Jack?" Mac almost didn't dare saying his name.

"Yeah. I'm here…" Jack answered with a groan as he brought his hand up to where blood was oozing out of his upper arm on the opposite side.

"How bad are you?"

"Just hit once…" Jack exhaled slowly, "Bleeds a little more than I thought it did a minute ago… Did I get him?"

Mac looked up towards the window and saw the last of the shooters hanging out of the window with a waterfall of red painted on the wall under him.

"Yeah. Definitely." Mac nodded and got up to cross over to Jack, "He's done."

"Good."

"Now, let me take a look at that wing of yours." Mac said as he shrugged off his shirt, ready to put pressure on Jack's wound.

Jack twisted to give Mac easy access.

"Okay… That doesn't look all that bad…" Mac nodded as he squatted down by Jack's side. Then he wrapped his shirt around Jack's arm, to slow his bleeding. Then he grabbed a hold of Jack's hand and let his fingers glide over both his palm, the back of his and all over his fingers. "Feel that?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded, "It didn't hit deep. Just bled a bit."

"Yeah, well… You're getting stitches when we get into the chopper." Mac informed.

Jack nodded, "Figured that much. Now, let's get to the damn chopper and get back home."

"Agreed." Mac smiled.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The rest of the way to the chopper went without a hitch. If you ignored that Mac had to tighten the wrap around Jack's arm a couple of times when he started dripping trails where they had walked.

And once they were inside the chopper Jack used the opportunity to call back home and give a short update.

Michelle picked up on the second ring.

"Yeah?"

"We're in the chopper. Going to the airstrip." Jack smiled, "A few hours and I'll be back at home with you and Katie…"

"-And our guests." Michelle chuckled.

"Yeah…" Jack nodded, "How are you doing? How are they doing?"

"I'm good now that I hear your voice and that you're coming home. Coop's in pain. The others are good."

"About as expected."

"Yeah…" Michelle agreed, "How are you?"

"In need of a couple of stitches, but that's basically nothing." Jack shrugged a little, "Other than that, I'm good as can be."

"What happened?"

"Used my arm to slow down a piece of metal…" Jack drawled, "But relax, it's no big damage. Just bleeds a bit."

"Okay… Remember, we have this deal about not lying to each other…"

"Yeah. I know…" Jack nodded, "And I'm not lying either."

"Good."

"Okay. See you in a few hours then…" Jack nodded, "Love you very much darlin'…"

"Love you very much too, soldier."

 **Okay. Figured I'd just post this now. Because it felt like the end of the chapter to me…**


	134. Chapter 134

**Okay, it's been a little while. I've had a few Uni assignments to finish up, all of them went well.**

 **Yay.**

"So…" Dunc started as he sat down next to Coop again, after bringing both of them a bowl of soup each. Michelle and Box walked in straight after him with their food. "Jack's on his way back home now…"

"Is it true?"

"Yeah." Michelle answered for Dunc, "He called a little while ago, and I just got a second call from him when he was about to board the jet."

"That's good." Coop grinned, "Everyone good?"

"Well, my soon to be husband did run into a little quarrel with a small sized metal projectile." Michelle rolled her eyes, "But he's fine. Said he just needed a few stitches. Mac pretty much agreed."

"That's good." Coop nodded, "And that Mac agrees, that's good too."

Michelle nodded, "Yeah. It's one of the things I don't trust Jack on…"

Box nodded, "Wise choice. Good ol' Wyatt likes to pretty up the truth…"

"That he does…" Coop nodded.

"Look who's speaking…" Dunc chuckled, and the others couldn't help but chuckle a little too.

"What?"

"Oh come on…" Dunc rolled his eyes, "Prettying up the truth? You've got at least a brown belt in that sport."

"He got you there…" Boxer nodded.

"Like any of you are any better…"

"I think we are…" Dunc shrugged and looked towards Boxer, "You agree?"

"Yeah, compared to Paul Bunyan and our friend Evel Knievel…"

"You guys and your nicknames…" Michelle chuckled, "Anyway, I hope you enjoy the soup…"

"Already do…" Box grinned as he brought his spoon back to his bowl to fish up more soup, "Tastes awesome."

"Thanks." Michelle smiled back.

Cooper sat up a little and started to push himself up to a temporarily seated position for when he was eating.

"Need any help?"

Coop took a long controlled breath before he looked over at Dunc, "I'd like to say no…"

"What can I do?"

"Do something with the pillows so that my leg sits a little higher…?"

"Copy that." Dunc nodded and leaned in to fix Coop's pillows, "That better?"

Coop nodded. "Thanks."

Then Coop reached for the soup bowl and tested the soup. Sounding off a hum of pleasure as the soup hit his taste buds. "Damn… This is good."

Michelle smiled. "That's good."

"Jack's a lucky man…" Dunc smiled as he sat his soup bowl back down and placed his legs in a pretzel under than him. Then he picked his bowl back up and continued eating. "But he already knows that."

Michelle grinned, "We're on the fence about if it's him or I who is the lucky one."

"Him. Definitely him." All three men answered in unison.

"I'm pretty sure I'm lucky too…"

"Not as lucky as him…" Box shook his head.

"Agree to disagree?" Michelle offered as she looked over at Boxer.

"I guess."

 **MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016**

"Ready to get back home?" Mac asked as he sat back down next to Jack on the plane.

"You know I am…" Jack nodded and stretched in his seat.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good, why are you asking?"

"Dude, you did get shot…"

"I got…" Jack shrugged, "It's basically a graze… And you know that."

Mac nodded, "I know, but I just figured it could have you a little more shaken up than normally. You know since you're getting married so soon and all…"

Jack shrugged, before it morphed into him nodding. "Yeah, guess you've got a point there… But I'm not breaking down in tears yet, okay…"

Mac nodded.

"Honestly, I just want to get back home and give my girls a kiss or two…"

Mac smiled, "Just a couple of more hours and you'll be there man…"

 **Okay, hope you enjoyed this tiny little chapter.**


	135. Chapter 135

**Okay, it's been like forever since I posted anything for this story.  
-My bad-**

 **Got a little busy. Got a little sidetracked.  
And I didn't really know what to write either.**

It took seven stitches to close up the wound. It was obvious that it was done in a less than ideal circumstances.

The medic could have offered up at least three more stitches to make it look neater, but it did the job. Then the stitch work got covered with some neat white gauze.

"Well, that's going to look like some weird dimple…" Jack chuckled once the medic secured the end of the gauze with the help of a tape strip.

The medic shrugged apologetically, "It's done by headlamp, in a helicopter… And waiting on ground was no option, and letting you bleed until we landed again wasn't exactly our best option either. I'm sorry it turned out a little rough."

Jack shook his head, "Don't worry, it's gonna be far from my worst scar… I'm not even sure it's going to reach the top five."

The medic chuckled a little, "Somehow I have no problem believing you on that."

Jack just nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Jack took a deep breath as he stood outside of his house with his travel bag laying by his side. He looked down at his upper arm and lifted the hem of his sleeve to get a view of the bandage covering it.

There was a rust-red spot the size of a quarter staining the white, but it had all dried up at least. So he wasn't in danger of staining anything anymore.

It wasn't often he felt the need to stand outside and center himself before he could enter his home.

But this mission had somehow messed with him more than he had expected.

Could be because it was so close to his wedding day, he had gone through something similar when he first started working again after his injury and had recently become a father.

Another deep breath and be bent down to pick up his bag before going in.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

They heard the door open and someone step inside. Michelle got up instantly and started moving towards the hallway.

"Jack?" she asked, hope in her voice.

"Yeah…" he answered, a smile apparent in his voice, "Yeah, it's me…"

"Where did you get shot?"

"Here…" Jack answered, probably showing it to Michelle.

The guys in the living room weren't really sure.

"They sutured it?"

Then there was a pause where Jack probably nodded to answer her.

"How many stitches?"

"Seven." Jack replied, "Looks like standard butcher-work, but it holds up."

"Well, compared to how much wounds can bleed through bandages, that one looks very pretty."

"Yeah…" Jack agreed, "Sorry I had to go…"

"Hey, you let me know what sort of trouble I was getting myself into when we started dating. I've been fully aware things like this are bound to happen."

"Still sorry though…" Jack sighed.

"Don't be…"

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

The three guys greeted Jack when he walked into the living room. Jack greeted them back.

"Successful mission?" Coop asked.

Jack nodded.

"Anyone get hurt?" Dunc followed up.

"Nobody needed a hospital." Jack smirked, "So, no… Nobody got hurt."

"That's good." Coop nodded, "How bad is that bullet kiss you got?"

"Not bad at all." Jack shrugged and moved his arm around to show that it didn't limit the function of his arm, "Basically just a spicy cut…"

"Spicy cut…" Box frowned, "That doesn't sound good… Sounds like it would sting like hell."

"Nah… Not like that. More like it's a spiced up cut. Fancier than your normal cut. I don't know… A cut but it's got more of a reputation…?"

"You're a true wordsmith…" Box chuckled, "I'll give you that…"

Jack chuckled, before he looked over the men, "How have you been?"

"Good." Box shrugged.

Coop nodded in agreement, "Somewhat jealous of you who got to go out on a mission, but thankful that I could just chill out here."

Dunc shrugged, "I figured out that I never want to be a military spouse…"

Michelle couldn't keep herself from laughing at that as she moved in to hug Jack.

Jack smirked.

Box chuckled.

"Wouldn't that be kinda hypocritical?" Coop chuckled, "I mean, you wouldn't have any problems having a girlfriend or wife having the gig we have…"

Dunc frowned, "No… But that's NOT the same…"

"-It is though…" Coop chuckled, "Your potential wife or girlfriend would be just as worried as you."

Duncan shook his head a little, "Just for the record, I'll never find a girl in the military…"

"If you say so…" Coop chuckled, "I wouldn't mind."

Box chuckled, "We already knew that…"

"No. Not like that." Coop shook his head, "She was a nurse. I meant, I wouldn't mind being with a girl who's been in a gunfight, fired an RPG, stuff like that."

"Well, would you be able to sit at home while _she_ was out doing that kind of stuff?"

"Hell nah man…" Coop chuckled, "I would be out there as well."

"No-no-no…" Dunc shook his head, "No, the question was if you would be able to do that and stay at home yourself."

"Now why would I do that?" Coop scrounged up his nose, "I'd be bored to death."

Boxer pointed toward Coop's leg, "Injuries… I mean, you wouldn't be the first one on this team to get an injury that would force you to retire. Just look at Pete."

"Hey, that's the stuff we just don't talk about…" Coop frowned, "We don't need to invite accidents like that…"

"Oh brother…" Dunc chuckled, "I think you have proved to everyone that you don't need any help getting injured…"

"Oh screw you…" Coop chuckled, "Could just as easily been you."

"Only it wasn't…" Dunc winked, "Plus, I'm not born as clumsy as you."

"He's kinda got a point…" Jack shrugged.

"I'm not clumsy…" Coop sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, you're just unlucky with where you place you feet…" Boxer smirked.

Michelle chuckled, before she squeezed Jack's waist a little. "If you're done teasing Coop, there's still some chicken soup left in the fridge. Want me to reheat it for you?"

"Aw, that sounds awesome…" Jack grinned.

"So, are you done teasing him?"

Jack chuckled, "Yeah. Yeah I guess. I'm not the one to speak I guess…"

Michelle shook her head, "You're probably not…"

Jack nodded.

 **Okay, so that's it for today.  
Sorry it took me so long to update this. Hopefully it won't be as long until I update the next time. **


	136. Chapter 136

**Hey there, still reading?**

 **Cool.**

Pete was impressed by how quickly the swelling in Coop's leg had gone down when they decided to check on it a week after the bachelor party.

"How does it look?" Coop asked the two doctors who was studying his leg.

"Like you've been a good boy and followed our instructions…" Pete grinned, then he looked up at the other surgeon, "What do you say? Think it's enough to go forward with the surgery?"

"I do…" Dr. John Andrews nodded, then he looked over at Coop, "Have you been eating or drinking anything today?"

"Had a sip of water with my pills, but that's it." Coop answered, "Pete said to just go by surgery protocol so I did."

"Good." John nodded before turning to Pete, "What do you say? Prep him and start surgery at ten?"

Pete nodded, "Sounds good. You up for that Coop?"

"I'm ready to get done with all of this." Coop shrugged, "I mean, a little more mobility would be nice."

Pete chuckled, "You know you wouldn't have that much more mobility, right? You would still have to keep it elevated most of the time. But not necessarily above heart level."

"It's the above heart level thing that's bugging me…" Coop shrugged, "I end up taking so much space, and getting comfortable is almost impossible."

Pete nodded.

"Well, after the surgery we'll allow you to just have your leg up on an ottoman."

"-Or a table, you bushman…" Pete chuckled, "Anything that height."

Coop chuckled, "Sounds good."

"Okay, then we prep you for surgery…" John nodded.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Hours later Coop was laying in bed after the surgery. He was playing around on his phone, trying to make time pass faster.

He had received one bottle looking thing filled with penicillin. Even though he received it through a line in his arm, it made his mouth taste like metal. Which again made him a bit nauseous. And he knew he would have to have at least two more bottles of the same stuff. At least if this turned out to be like anything else he had been through earlier.

Every now and then he looked over to where his toes poked out of the long cast, and wiggled them a bit.

His phone buzzed in his hands, and he looked back down.

 _'_ _Hey man… Heard you  
were out of surgery. How  
are you feeling?'_

Coop read the message from Dunc, then cast a glance down at his own leg again.

 _'_ _Yeah, pretty good.'_

It wasn't a lie, but he didn't feel all good either.

 _'_ _And how's the pain?'_

Coop shrugged and glared at his leg, before he decided on his answer.

 _'_ _A lot better. Haven't  
been moving any yet, so  
that might change things.  
How has things been there?'_

Full disclosure, Duncan wasn't the one who always had his phone on him, or even knew where it was at. But when he actually had it, he was quick with his replies, and Coop knew he had no way of matching his buddy's typing speed.

 _'_ _Oh, you know. Just daily  
stuff. Both Jack and  
Michelle had to go to work.  
Jack promised it was nothing  
that would get him shot at  
'unless paperwork suddenly  
turns lethal'… Box and I are  
babysitting. Box is trying to  
come up with some stuff for  
a speech.  
Got any ideas?'_

Coop chuckled.

 _'_ _Nah man… I leave the  
literary stuff up to you two  
and Pete. No need to let the  
guy who barely passed English  
mess with that stuff.'_

A couple of seconds passed before his phone buzzed again.

 _'_ _BARELY PASSED? Man, a C  
is no longer barely passed…  
-But a guy who finds no  
joy in writing or creating  
things with words…  
That sounds more accurate.'_

Okay, barely passed had been an exaggeration. He'd admit that. But he had hated every minute of English classes all through his time in school, and he had honestly been surprised when he passed.

 _'_ _Okay… Okay… I get it…  
But, I'm just not that  
good with written words.  
I'll leave that up to the  
rest of you.'_

A moment more passed before his phone again vibrated in his hands.

 _'_ _You don't have to  
write about it. Just if you  
remember anything that  
we should incorporate in a  
speech, that would be  
AWESOME!'_

Coop stared at the screen for half a minute before his brain started coming up with alternatives for things that could be mentioned in a speech, but wouldn't be too out of context if they removed the parts they couldn't talk about.

There was miles of difference between telling about the time in Kunduz where Jack had attempted to talk to a sheep farmer who they thought was pretty harmless. For it to turn out to be a very dangerous terrorist, and Jack's language skills had insulted his daughter.  
And  
Telling about the time they all had received 'battle tattoos' because of Jack's mouth got them in a more than sticky situation with a bunch of arms dealers.

 _'_ _How about civilian-proofing  
the story from Mazar-i-Sharif.  
Or the first time things went  
haywire in Kabul. Or that time  
woke up with a freaking black  
bear outside our tent during  
that camping trip on the  
California-Nevada border.'_

Coop smirked as he thought back to those instances. It had been some crazy moments through the years.

 _'_ _Aw, that Kabul story is  
epic! And we need to tie  
in the bears somehow. I  
was almost positive that  
we were gonna die then and  
there…'_

Coop chuckled and nodded to himself. He had also felt the heart-in-throat feeling, the hair-standing-on-edge feeling, the mouth-running-dry and your gut-clenching feeling right there in that tent.

 _'_ _Yeah, me too! It was  
scary right?'_

He barely had time to glance up at the ceiling before the answer was in.

 _'_ _Yes. Box hesitantly  
agrees with us.  
So, are you coming back  
here tomorrow, or are  
you staying there a  
couple of extra days?'_

Coop let his head roll back against his pillow. He could barely wait to get back to the others.

 _'_ _Yeah, getting back  
"home" tomorrow. Can't  
wait.'_

 **Okay. So that turned out to be a little chapter.**


	137. Chapter 137

**Okay, so I plan on making this one short. But we'll se how it turns out.**

Dunc looked out the window just in time to see Pete park outside and help Coop out of the passenger side.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Nice cast brother!" Dunc grimaced as Coop hobbled towards the stairs up to Jack's house. He walked down the stairs to meet Coop, "Need any help up the stairs?"

Coop stopped in his tracks and glared at Dunc, "No. I can handle stairs."

"Okay-okay!" Dunc held his hands up to show surrender, "Do your thing."

Coop nodded and started hobbling forward again.

"How bad is it?"

"Not as bad as being the passenger when Pete drove over here!" Coop chuckled, "I was afraid we were going to crash like ten times!"

"-But did you die?!" Pete almost yelled after him, before doubling over laughing.

"That's- That's why you drove like a bat out of hell?" Coop growled, "To mimic that guy in the hangover movies?"

"No. Bat out of hell is his normal speed." Dunc chuckled, "He's from New York you know…"

"Obviously has some sort of mail-order license." Coop growled, "If my leg hadn't been in a full cast, I would have been tempted to jump out of the car in speed."

"It wasn't that bad…"

"YOU weren't the PASSENGER!" Coop bit out, twisting around to face Pete.

Pete's smirk was as wide as it could be.

"-And you shouldn't find so much joy in this either." Coop added after a few seconds, "Shame on you…"

"Oh, you know you love me…"

"I know I love that I'm still alive after that ride." Coop shrugged, "And I love that I won't have to hitchhike with you anymore."

"Sissy…" Pete teased.

"Oh, just wait until I'm healed up, I'll invite you on a ride. With me as the driver…"

 **Okay, so… I guess I'm going to skip a bit forward with the next chapter. Hope that's okay with you.**


	138. Chapter 138

**Let's go!**

He couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

His heart was trying to jump out of his chest the way it was beating.

"She's beautiful…" Box leaned in and whispered beside him.

Jack just nodded, focusing on keeping his lower jaw in relatively close proximity of his upper jaw.

He couldn't believe that she had agreed to marry him. She was so kind and beautiful, and he was… He was him.

His eyes were glued to her as she kept gliding across the floor towards him.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

Her light brown curls danced around her face and shoulders.

The upper part of her dress hugged her perfectly, while the skirt of it fell wide around her.

Jack couldn't believe he was getting married to the beautiful woman walking down the aisle. It felt like a fairytale, or a dream.

To think that he had been lucky enough to meet her, and for her to fall in love with him, it felt unreal.

Her tan skin seemed to glow against her white dress.

She was definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

MACGYVER2016MACGYVER2016

"Bro… Are you weeping?" Coop asked in a whisper, glancing over at Dunc.

"Nah man…" Dunc shook his head as his right hand darted up to dry his eyes, "Just got some stuff irritating my eye."

"It would be totally fine if you did." Coop shrugged, "Cause my eyes are stinging like hell."

"You big soft wuss…" Dunc sniffled and looked over at Coop. Visual evidence that he had in fact been weeping trailed down his cheeks.

Coop smirked, "Right back at ya…"

"You both suck…" Pete leaned over and whispered, "You're supposed to get teary-eyed at weddings. At least during one of your best friends' wedding."

Dunc nodded, "Yeah, guess you're right."

"I'm always right…" Pete smirked, before his jaw tensed.

"They look really… Really awesome together, right?"

Dunc nodded, "Stunning. -I think stunning is the word you're looking for pal…"

Coop smirked, "I guess."

 **Okay, guess that's all for today. Hopefully I'll have another chapter ready soon.**


End file.
